


Laughter in the Dark

by FlameWolf



Series: Love in Arkham [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Dark Knight (2008)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Bloodplay, Control Issues, Dark Romance, Dom/sub, F/M, Insanity, Kidnapping, Knifeplay, Rape/Non-con Elements, twisted relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-19 12:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 35
Words: 125,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4746476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameWolf/pseuds/FlameWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Marie gets handed Joker's case file, she ends up with a little more than she can handle. Will the Joker manage to break her or will she be able to escape unscathed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Patient

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Dark Knight or the Batman franchise. This story is just for fun and no profit will be made from it.

    Marie sighed as she looked down at the patient file that had been placed on her desk that morning.  Moving a lock of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear, she picked up the manilla envelope in a purple nailed hand as she practically threw herself into her large, leather desk chair.  Her gray eyes slowly roved over the mug shot of her new charge, a dark brow rising slightly as nervousness began to fill her.  There was no way, there had to be a mistake.  The director couldn’t seriously be considering giving _this_ case to her!  She had only been here for five years, not to mention what had happened to the last woman who had been assigned to this man’s case.  Shooting to her feet, she charged out of her small office and straight to her boss’.  Yes, this was just an oversight!  There was no way in hell they could expect her to treat the ‘Clown Prince’ of crime.

    A tall, rather lithe looking male looked up at her neutrally as she slammed into his office, not even raising a brow at the panic on her face.  “Good morning Miss Jovian, is there something I can help you with,” he asked in a mid tone voice that held a light scottish brogue.  His long, black hair was tied back in a ponytail and he was dressed in a black business suit.  His dark eyes met her gaze steadily as he rested his clasped hands on the top of his desk.

    “I think there’s been a mistake Mr. Mickleson.  I found this on my desk this morning,” the frightened looking woman replied, slapping the light tan folder on his mahogany desk.  After giving the object a cursory look, he merely shook his dark haired head.

    “There’s been no mistake.  You are to meet with him at noon today,” he replied, gently pushing the thin object back across the desk towards her.

    “Wh-what?!  But I’ve only been here five years!  I’ve just barely started working with the more dangerous patients like Dr. Crane and Miss Kyle!  Surely there must be someone more qualified to put on his case,” Marie protested, hysteria slightly slipping into her voice as panic began to fill her in earnest.  She had heard several horror stories about the man from the nurses in her years at Arkham, he was an expert at getting into people’s heads and he never stayed in lock-up for very long.  Her boss only looked up at her sympathetically before letting out a quiet sigh.

    “I’m well aware of this but I feel you are the most qualified.  From the reports that have crossed my desk, you have made significant progress with your two Level 5 patients; especially Dr. Crane.  The man speaks of you quite fondly when asked about his treatment with you, no small feat as I’m sure you know,” he replied, continuing to meet her smoky eyes steadily, regret shining in his dark orbs.

    The older male’s words gave her pause.  Dr. Crane _had_ been acting a lot more personable compared to the first time she had entered the man’s cell.  She remembered that first time quite vividly.  The once doctor had been huddled in a dark corner of his cell, only a silhouette of his body visible.  When she had introduced herself as his new Psychologist, he had charged her and pinned her to a wall; revealing he was wearing his infamous ‘Scarecrow’ mask.  He had nearly choked the life out of her before the guards had come rushing in to her rescue.  Now, he greeted her politely and without the mask; asking her how her day had gone and generally treating her like a well trusted friend.  Still, she had done nothing special; merely treated him like a human being despite the fact he wanted to kill her for the first few weeks.  “That doesn’t mean I’ll have the same success with this guy!  The man is in an entirely different league than either Dr. Crane or Miss Kyle!  He doesn’t even have a name beyond his persona!  Not to mention what happened to Dr. Quinzel,” Marie protested, panic still tinging her voice.  She desperately wished the director would just give the case to someone else, anyone but her!

    “I’m sorry Miss Jovian, my decision on this matter is final,” her boss sighed out, regret tinging his voice as he slid the file closer to her, a clear dismissal.

    Giving Mr. Mickleson one last, fruitless, pleading look, the nervous female reluctantly picked up the file and left.  As she walked back to her office, she tried to mentally prepare herself for her first meeting with a man only known as ‘Joker’.  A man that did things for no reason and was an expert manipulator.  A man who had already ruined one doctor, turning the poor woman into a crazed fangirl that did his every bidding at the slightest urging.  She would have to be on her guard the entire time, something she wasn’t entirely used to.  Sighing, the blonde plunked her head down on her desk with a dull thud.

    After a few moments of putting up her mental shields, the black suit wearing woman got to her feet to head to her first appointment of the day.  Her morning patient was always Dr. Crane, mostly due to her finding out that he was a lot less in control during the night.  As she approached his cell, Marie tried to shove her lingering nervousness about her new patient to the back of her mind.  Dr. Crane was an expert people reader and would pick up on her unease right away, she certainly didn’t want to deal with the questions or his reaction to her new charge.  Taking a deep breath and nodding to the guards that stood on either side of the steel door, the Psychologist opened the door and went inside.

    The rail thin man was already waiting for her, a smile on his gaunt face as she closed the door behind herself.  His smile wavered slightly, his glasses hidden blue eyes roving over her with slight concern.  “You seem nervous, is something wrong?” he whispered, getting to his feet and moving toward her slowly.  His hands were held out at his sides with his palms up to show he meant no harm as he stopped within a couple feet of her.  Inwardly cursing his powers of observation, the blonde forced a reassuring smile onto her face.

    “I got a new patient today and I’m just a bit nervous about meeting with them.  They’re a Level 5 like you but they have a much more terrifying reputation,” she replied, knowing it would do her no good to lie to him.  In fact she had a suspicion that if she tried, it would shatter the hard won trust she had earned with the former doctor.

    “Anyone I would know?” he asked, gazing down at her with concern and a faint protectiveness that shocked her.

    “That’s a good question.  I’m not sure if you know them personally but they’ve certainly been in the news enough for you to hear about them,” she replied, inwardly wondering if they really _did_ know eachother.

    “May I know their name?” he replied, worry stark in his ice blue eyes as he looked down at her.

    “You know that information is confidential Dr. Crane,” Marie replied, starting feel even more nervous the more her patient pried.  What would he do if he found out she was treating the Joker?  What would he do if he found out she had been hiding that information?  Either way, it seemed she was pretty screwed.

    “I doubt very many will be asking me for information on your patients in here,” the former doctor replied, a hint of exasperated amusement in his slightly deep voice as he gestured to the cell they stood in.  Knowing he was right and that it would only make things worse to hesitate, she took a deep breath and braced herself for his reaction.

    “You should probably sit down,” the black clad woman sighed, lowering her head as her patient moved to do so.  Once he was seated on his small bed, she looked up to meet his eyes.

    “I have been given Joker’s case,” she whispered, inwardly steeling herself for the storm.

    Instead of the violent outburst she had expected, Dr. Crane only looked up at her with a shocked, incredulous look.  Then he was on his feet, pacing like a caged wild animal as he began to grow agitated.  “Dr. Crane, calm down,” she whispered, not daring to move as the man’s movements steadily grew more frenzied.

    “Calm down?   _Calm down?!_  Do you have any idea what that man is like!  What he does to people!  People are his toys, women especially!  What the hell were they thinking?!” he screamed, worry stark in his eyes as he stopped to fix her with his frenzied gaze.  Then he was moving towards her swiftly, making her back up until her back was against the cold, concrete wall.

    “Do you know what he’ll do to you?!  He’ll get in your head, make you over in the image that suits him best!  He could easily have you at his feet within days, acting like a loyal puppy!” he hissed, his voice growing rough and throaty as his alter ego began to rise to the surface.

    “I know how to handle myself.  I _did_ survive all of our encounters,” she reminded quietly, not moving an inch and keeping her eyes locked on his.  If this escalated much further, she would have to call in the guards to restrain the former doctor; something she hadn’t had to do in months.

    “That was different.  I only tried to kill you, not play games with your head.  The Joker... he knows how to get to people, how to get under their skin,” he hissed, more of the ‘Scarecrow’ slipping forward as his eyes began to darken.

    “Jonathan, I promise I know what I’m doing.  Besides, I doubt they’ll let me be alone with him; not after what happened to Dr. Quinzel,” she replied soothingly, trying to diffuse the quickly worsening situation.  If ‘Scarecrow’ came out, there was no telling what would happen.  Unlike his normal personality, ‘Scarecrow’ didn’t seem to hold any regard for her.  In fact the secondary personality only seemed to tolerate her on occasion, attacking her on the times he didn’t feel like dealing with her.

    “Dr. Quinzel is exactly why I’m worried!  I can’t let him harm you,” he snarled out, a deadly edge to his steadily deepening voice as his hands shot out to grasp her bare upper arms in a tight grip.

    “Jonathan, _Jonathan!_ ” she fairly screamed until he snapped back to himself as if in a daze.  Then he was stepping back from her, his hands twitching slightly as he avoided her gaze.

    “Forgive me Dr. Jovian, I just...  When I think of what he could do, what he _has_ done,” he murmured, shuddering slightly as he struggled with himself.

    “Dr. Crane, as much as I appreciate your concern, I can give you every assurance that I will handle this as cautiously as possible.  I am not unaware of just what the Joker can do to me and I intend to take proper precaution,” the blonde assured quietly, keeping her stormy gaze locked on the man across from her.  The former doctor only sighed before sitting back down on his tiny, thin bed.

    “Just promise me, if you feel him starting to get in, you leave,” he whispered, his voice holding an odd edge as he clasped his hands between his legs.  Watching the former murderer with a stunned look, the young Psychologist moved cautiously towards Dr. Crane and placed a tentative hand on his jumpsuit clad shoulder.

    “I promise,” she replied softly, trying her hardest not to jump or flinch when the criminal grasped her hand gently in his and brought the appendage briefly to his surprisingly soft lips.  Then he released her before she had to pull away, heaving a deep sigh as he focused his gaze on the floor.

    “I didn’t mean to cause you such an upheaval today Dr. Crane.  I think the stress has been enough for one day.  We’ll talk tomorrow,” Marie declared, breaking the heavy silence as she began to move toward the door.  A hand gently grabbing her wrist nearly made her scream out loud and she barely restrained herself from jumping and yanking away.  Turning to look at the former doctor with the best curious smile she could muster, the blonde tried to slow her galloping heart.

    “No, please.  Our talks, they help me get through the nights.  Having the memories of just acting... normal, they help keep _him_ at bay,” Dr. Crane whispered in a small, quiet voice, his blue eyes full of fear and a hint of desperation.

    “What would you like to talk about Dr. Crane?” the Psychologist asked, moving back towards him so he would release her wrist.

    “Call me Jonathan today Dr. Jovian,” he semi-requested as he smiled up at her.

    “As for what I would like to talk about, why don’t you ask me some questions?  I always like those,” the former doctor continued, scooting over on his bed in a clear offer for her to sit with him.

    Marie eyed the spot with some apprehension.  It wasn’t that she hadn’t sat that close to him before, she had many times.  She just found herself unsure of him due to the recent news.  Still, if she took too long, Dr..., no, Johnathan would more than likely take some offence.  “Alright, I believe we left off on your day patients.  Why not start out with a favorite story of yours?” the suit wearing woman asked in a cheerful voice as she sat beside him.  Smiling widely at her, the rather young looking man launched into a long tale about an unfortunate nurse, an ill tempered mental patient and a bedpan.

    By the time she had left, Dr. Crane had retreated into himself; almost seeming to go catatonic.  She was supposed to ask questions about ‘Scarecrow’ today but with everything that had happened, the Psychologist wisely decided to keep things light hearted.  Before the end, the man had been relaxed; leaning back and smiling just before he slipped into a sort of catatonia.  “Miss Jovian?  I gotta escort ya to yer new patient.  We just brought him in but Dr. Mickleson wanted you to meet on his first day,” husked an east coast accented voice from her right, drawing her attention to a rather grandfatherly looking man.

    The guard was a bit overweight but still carried a lot of muscle.  He wore a cowboy style mustache and his short, white hair was combed back neatly.  Worry lines were grooved deep in his wizened face, as if he had seen far too much in his long lifetime.  Considering how long it was rumored he had been working at Arkham, it was probably a fair assumption to make.  “Now, I gotta warn ya lil missy, he is in a foul temper.  Intake hosed his make-up off of him which has only made him more violent,” he warned, gently taking her bare arm in a loose grip and leading her out of the Level 5 Ward.

    “Why the hell would they do that?!” Marie nearly screamed, incredulousness in her voice.  Even when they had brought in ‘Scarecrow’, intake had let him keep his mask.  Granted he had killed ten orderlies when they attempted to take it from him.  Yet just turning a firehose on the Joker would have been a lot easier that trying to physically take a mask off an armed psychopath.

    “The same reason they try to take all of their disguises, to try to show them that they are not their persona,” he sighed in a weary voice that was slightly tinged with sympathy as he released her arm to allow her to follow on her own.

    “Well it’s ridiculous!  Ripping away the only escape from reality these people have just as they enter this place only makes them harder to work with, more aggressive,” she hissed in irritation as she ran a shaky, purple nailed hand through her dirty blonde locks.  How was she supposed to met with the man when his mask had been so cruelly torn from his face?  It would be like Dr. Crane all over again, except she was certain it would be about ten times worse.

    “Don’t worry, he’s been jacketed and shackled in the holding cell,” the old guard reassured her, unknowingly fueling her ire and anxiety with his well meaning words.

    _‘So he’s not only vulnerable but chained up as well.  This is gonna go greeeaaaat,’_ the Psychologist thought to herself bitterly, taking a deep breath before putting all of her mental shields in place.

    All too soon, the tired looking man led her to a large room that had a barred, locked gate separating them from getting in.  On the other side of the gate was a large cube made out of metal bars that had several swat uniform wearing men surrounding it with their guns at the ready.  In the middle of the cube was a thin bed and sitting on that bed, strapped in a straight jacket and dressed in the dull gray jumpsuit of Arkham, was a green haired male that had his head hanging down to hide his face.  Glaring at the two guards that stood outside the gate, Marie showed off her I.D. before they unlocked the heavy door and slid it open for her.  “All of you can wait outside the gate until you’re needed.  At least give my patient some semblance of privacy,” she hissed at the military looking men.

    As much as she really didn’t want to be even close to being alone with the man in the cell, she knew she needed to try to establish some sort of trust with him.  Thankfully, the black wearing group slowly filed out of the room to stand on the other side of the heavy gate.  Trying to calm her now racing heart, Marie cautiously approached the large, barred cube.  As she got closer, the man jolted slightly, the sound of a deep inhale filling the room.  “Really, you’d think they’d uh, learn not to send a woman in to see me.  You see, I’m a bit of a heartbreaker,” he hissed out in a smooth, mid tone voice that was tinged with an insane amusement.

    “Joker?  I can’t apologize enough for how our institution has treated you so far.  Our aim is to help you become normal people in society, not make your trauma worse,” she apologized, eyeing the shut door that kept her from entering.

    “Your idea of what ‘help’ is seems sorta... one sided.  As for trauma, what sort of ‘trauma’ do you think I have suffered?  Oh no, so far I’ve had a marvelous time,” he sniggered before barking out the eeriest, most darkly insane laughter she had ever heard.  There was no joy in that sound, only sheer, unadulterated madness and she had to get in the cell with it.   _‘Mom was right, I shoulda just been a fucking dentist,’_ she thought to herself sardonically as she moved toward the gate to get the key from one of the SWAT officers.


	2. The Cage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Here we have Marie’s first meeting with Joker. This should be interesting.

Hearing the lock click open was like hearing a hammer hit in coffin nails.  Forcing her nervousness to the back of her mind, Marie bravely strode into the barred cage and shut the door behind her.  “Well, I am happy you’re amused at least.  My name is Dr. Jovian and I’ll be your Psychologist during your incarceration,” she introduced as jovially as she could, staring down at the back of his bent head.  His hair would have just reached his shoulders had his head been upright and looked to be a dirty blonde that had been dyed a vibrant looking green.  She could even see the roots of the original color, making her idly wonder how long it had been since his last touch up.

“Should I call you Bon Jovi?” the male cackled, rocking slightly in place but keeping his head pointed toward the floor.

“Just Dr. Jovian please,” she sighed, rolling her eyes.  She had heard that joke ever since pre-school and honestly found herself surprised the criminal hadn’t been more creative.

“Why so serious doc?  Ya gotta get more fun outta life,” he sighed, sounding disappointed as well as slightly angry.

“Mr. Joker, you know as well as I do that you are a very dangerous individual.  You’ve already turned one of our finest nurses into a loyal fangirl and I do not intend to be next.  Surely you can see the necessity of handling you with as much caution as possible,” she replied smoothly, not allowing her eyes to move from the back of his head.  As curious as she was about her patient, she didn’t want to oogle the man.  Still, it was hard to ignore just how lithe he really was.  Somehow, she was expecting him to be bigger.

“Oooh, such big words.  Am I supposed to be impressed?  Look, with me trussed up like a turkey I doubt I’ll be any danger to ya.  What’s the harm in loosening up a little?” the restrained male reminded, jangling the chains on his feet and wiggling within the straightjacket for emphasis.

“The danger doesn’t come from anything physical as I’m sure you know.  Your reputation precedes you I’m afraid but I am not here to pass judgement.  I am here to introduce myself and evaluate your condition,” Marie replied smoothly, letting her eyes wander to the cage surrounding them.

“Though, I must admit, all of this seems a bit excessive,” she continued, a sour look on her pale face.  In all honesty, intake had probably done this as a show of force; to show the Joker that they were in charge.  From the looks of it, their efforts were fairly fruitless.  A light smacking noise brought her back to reality and she jolted slightly as she looked back down at the back of Joker’s head.

“Ya don’t have ta tell that to me doc.  I mean, they act as if I’m insane or something,” the male replied before letting loose another of those horrible howls of laughter.

Shuddering slightly and moving a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear, Marie could only wait until he quieted again.  “Well, shall I show you to where you’ll be staying?” she asked once he had quieted enough.  She wasn’t sure of how to respond to his statement and opted to just simply move on as if he hadn’t said it.  The Psychologist had heard horror stories about his temper and didn’t want to start things out on his bad side.

“Oooo, are they four star accommodations doc?  Will I have a view of the ocean?  Will free room service be provided?” he giggled, squirming a bit in his straightjacket.

“Well, we do sport three stars but the view is nothing to write home about.  As for the food, I would skip it if you want to live a long life,” she replied, smiling despite herself.  Something about the man just made you want to joke back with him, though she was sure that would change the first time he tried something.

Her reply drew a much louder bark of laughter from him, this one containing actual humor as he rocked back and forth.  “And here I thought you were gonna be a stick in the mud,” he cackled, shaking his head while keeping his face pointed toward the floor.

“Before we go, let me talk to the guards a moment.  I’ll be right back,” the suit wearing female replied before turning and going to the door of the cage.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” the green haired criminal replied, amusement thick in his slightly nasally voice as he began to giggle.

Wondering if everything was a joke to this man, Marie rolled her gray eyes before leaving the cage, locking it behind her and moving to the gate.  Just because the man was restrained, didn’t mean she had to be foolhardy.  “Hey, I need one of you guys to run and get me a few things out of storage,” she sighed, glaring at the man that seemed to be in charge of the SWAT team.  With his face behind the shaded visor it was hard to make out his expression but the blonde could swear he was glowering right back.

“What did ya need doc?” came the tired but helpful voice of the guard who had led her here.

“I believe they keep some extra make-up down there for a few of our patients.  Would you bring me a few varieties of white face paint, a lot of black eyeshadow, several different shades of red lipstick and a mirror?” she asked, smiling at the older man kindly.

“What the fuck?!  Do you know how long it took us to wrangle that nut to hose him down?!  Now you wanna give him back the thing that gives him power?!” the man who she had assumed was the leader snarled out, looking about ready to slam open the gate between them and throttle her.

“It was intake’s poor decision to remove this man’s shield.  In the act of removing the mask he chooses to hide behind you could have set back me making any actual progress by a significant amount.  The sooner I can reestablish a sort of trust with this man, the closer I can get to actually treating him,” Marie bit out, her stormy eyes flashing dangerously.

“Do you actually think that crazy bastard is even close to rehabilitatable?!  He blows shit up for fun and kills people for the hell of it!  The man doesn’t even seem to need a reason for anything he does, not even money!” the man continued, gesturing violently as spittle flew from his lips and forced her to take a few steps back.

“Does his randomness really make him more dangerous than the ‘Scarecrow’ or the ‘Croc’?  He may not need a reason for his actions but that doesn’t mean he deserves to be treated like an animal!  He’s a human being, which is more than I can say for you at the moment officer,” she bit out, curling her purple nailed hands into tight fists.  People like this man never failed to piss her off.  They never saw her patients as anything other than menaces, people that needed to be locked away in a dark cell.  They never saw the person that was buried under the chaos, crying out for help.

“You men have done your jobs, I want ya gone when I come back,” the old guard growled, glaring up at the man who had been yelling at Marie.  Then he turned to give her a tiny smile before he left.

Giving the fuming ‘soldiers’ a final glare, the young woman turned and began to stride back to the barred cube.  True to his word, her patient hadn’t moved an inch; his head still hanging down to face the floor.  Yet his entire posture was different.  Instead of loose and almost playful, he now seemed tense, almost angry.  Reluctant to be back in the cage with him while he was angry but knowing she had no choice, Marie opened the door once more and let herself in.  “I’m not crazy.  I’m  _ not _ ,” he hissed in a deadly sounding voice as the door closed and locked behind her.

“I’m sorry you had to hear that Joker.  I suppose you also heard what I’m having brought in?” she asked cautiously, ignoring the sounds of retreating boots behind her.

“Oh yes!  Thanks for that!  Otherwise I would have had to have found other means of, uh,... putting my face on,” he purred, his voice regaining some of the amusement from earlier while still sounding dangerous.

“I know we got off on a bad note but I hope we can grow to trust each other,” she replied, trying not to flinch when he brayed out another long bout of laughter at her statement.

“I find that highly unlikely doc.  Ya see, I have a funny thing about trusting people that so willing participate in active brainwashing,” the restrained male hissed, a hint of sardonicness in his smooth voice.  Then there was an odd, wet sounding noise that nearly made Marie flinch.  Just what had caused  _ that _ ?

“I can assure you, we do not brainwash people here,” the blonde replied, a bit insulted at his insinuations.  What she was doing was for the good of the people in the hospital, there was no brainwashing involved.

“Have you  _ seen _ how the, uh, ‘patients’ act on those pills you guys force down their throats?  More like obedient little zombies than actual people,” he replied, sounding a bit bitter and angry.  There was another wet sound and Marie had to stop herself from jolting.  Whatever he was doing to cause that sound, she wished he would stop it.

“That’s not...,” she began before she was interrupted by a short, sharp bark of his horrifyingly empty laughter.

“Oh no?  Have you spent time around the ‘patients’?  I know you have, you’re too good of a doctor not to.  I know you’ve, uh, seen how they act on the medication.  In some, it’s worse than becoming catatonic,” the criminal replied, all humor gone from his voice as he almost sounded like he felt sorry for these people.

Marie opened her mouth to argue but quickly snapped it shut.  The horrible truth of the matter was, he was right.  Some of the medications made the patients too sleepy to do much of anything other than sit and watch TV.  Was this how he had gotten to Dr. Quinzel?  By stating things that made far too much sense and shaking her belief in what she was doing?  Thankfully a knock on the gate interrupted the dark route her thoughts were taking and she turned to see the guard who had led her here flanked by two other guards.  “I’ll be back in a sec,” she murmured, before she walked out of the cage as calmly as she could.

Locking the door behind herself once again, the off balance woman found herself thinking on his words as she walked up to the gate.  Was what they were doing really for the good of their patients?  Or was it just a way to make them quiet and complacent, easier to deal with?  As much as she didn’t want to allow his words to get to her, she found she couldn’t argue their validity.  Shaking herself of what the Joker had said, Marie smiled at the three men outside the gate; her eyes going to the older male’s name-tag.  She was ashamed that, after five years of working around him, she didn’t even know this man’s name.  The only name on the worn, beaten tag said ‘Ol Joe’.   _ ‘What kind of name if ‘Ol Joe’, ’ _ the blonde found herself wondering as she opened the gate to take the items from her elderly helper.  “Thanks Joe,” she replied cheerfully, deciding it was really none of her business.

“No problem ma’am, after seeing how you treat your patients I’m always willing to help,” he replied, a smile coming onto his worn face.  His response almost made her wonder if he had been a patient or if he knew someone that had been.

“Alright guys, here’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going to at least remove the straightjacket to allow him to put the make-up on himself.  I need you guys at least on the inside of the gate but I want you to face away from the cage.  I will be leaving the cage unlocked while I am in there in case I need you, so keep the gate closed and locked,” Marie ordered with much more confidence than she actually felt at the moment.  In fact, the young woman wanted desperately to be anywhere but here.  Just the thought of being alone in the barred cube with him out of a straightjacket made a cold wash of fear run through her body.

“Are ya sure that’s a good idea?” one of the younger guards asked, this one much taller than the other two.  He had long, brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail, blue eyes, and a goatee on his chin.  Marie only glanced to the side before gesturing  the trio to come closer.

“To be entirely honest, this is probably the worst idea I’ve ever had but I have to establish trust somehow.  Besides, his legs will still be chained,” the Psychologist whispered, trying to keep her nervousness and fear out of her voice.

“We got your back Miss Jovian!” chirped the much younger male of the trio.  He was slightly taller than ‘Ol Joe’, had short, sandy blonde hair, vibrant green eyes and a cheerful enthusiasm only the very young seem to have.

Chuckling, Marie looked at their name-tags so she could at least call them their names.  The taller man’s name was Roy and the smaller man’s name was Sean, oddly normal considering what she had seen in her five years at Arkham.  “Dr. Jovian please Sean.  Well, let’s get this show on the road,” she replied, unlocking the gate and swinging it open for the trio.  Joe was the first one through, handing her a large bag on his way in.  “There are five sticks of lipstick, ten containers of black eyeshadow and ten containers of white face paint in there,” Joe stated before turning to face away from the cage.  The other two also filed in, turning like she instructed and locking the gate behind them.

With the large bag in a purple nailed hand, Marie made a mental note of what Joe told her.  If any of that was missing after, she would have to call the three in and hope they were enough to handle the Joker.  From everything she had heard about the man, she highly doubted they would be much of a match.  Heaving a sigh, and steeling herself for any possibility, the young woman went back to the cage and went back inside; leaving the door open wide behind her.  “I have a wide variety of make-up here.  Can I trust you enough to release you from your jacket to put on your own make-up?” she asked calmly, stopping a couple feet from the bound criminal.

“Trust is a funny thing doc.  Personally, I wouldn’t trust me even when  _ this _ restrained,” he replied, giggling quietly as he squirmed within the straightjacket.

“I’ll make you deal.  If I can trust you to not charge at me as soon as you’re out of the jacket, I’ll see what I can do about having your restraints removed for the journey to your... room,” the blonde offered, watching the man cautiously.  Honestly, she  _ really _ didn’t relish the idea of escorting an unrestrained Joker back to his cell.  If the man tried anything, she would be the one to blame for it.

“My room?  Oh that’s a good one!  You act as if I’m here under my own consent!  You know, uh, I accept your deal!  I look forward to a ‘leisurely stroll’ around ol Arkham.  It’s been, uh, a while since my last tour of the place,” he replied, stilling instantly.  The only thing that moved was his chest as he breathed and it was sort of... eerie.

Reluctantly and cautiously, Marie set the bag down on the floor and began to approach the hunched male.  “I’m going to have to bend over you here.  There’s no room to get behind you to unbuckle the straps,” she advised when she was bare inches from his bowed head.  As she looked down at his green haired head, she couldn’t help but wonder how many times he had been in.  She had heard stories but she had taken most of them with a grain of salt, passing them off as gossip.  Now she wondered just how much truth to those stories there had been.

“Be my guest doc.  I doubt you have anything to stab me in the back with, unless you plan to use a mascara pen,” the criminal replied, humor in his voice as he remained perfectly still.  Marie only made a confirming noise before she cautiously bent over him to undo the strap closest to the bottom.

Because of how he was bent forward, she didn’t have to press against him to reach the buckle but just being so close to his body nearly halted her breath in her throat.  He was lithe but obviously had some serious muscle tone.  In fact, the muscles beneath the tight jacket rippled as he breathed and she found herself wondering just how much strength the man truly had.  “Havin’ fun doc?” he cackled, shuddering slightly from his hollow sounding laughter.  His voice having jolted her out of her daze, Marie began pulling the straps free one by one until the only one left was the one tying his arms back.

“I’m about to release your arms, if you make any wrong moves those three will be in here within seconds.  You will be maced, you will be tazed and you will be thrown into full restraints; do you understand?” the blonde hissed out in a serious tone.  With how close she was to the Joker, it would be an easy thing for him to grab her as soon as his arms were free.

“I have nothing to gain from attacking you.  All it would get me is a few months on lockdown and lockdown is so boring.  I find having my freedom, a limited as it is, to be far more entertaining,” he reasoned, sounding just a touch impatient.  Yet he stayed perfectly still, barely moving a muscle except to breathe or speak.

Marie took a deep breath before unbuckling the strap and stepping back as quickly as she could.  The white, canvas jacket slid off his torso and onto the floor with an audible thud that made dread bloom in her stomach.  Hearing that sound solidified the fact that she was now in a cage with a half restrained madman.  An unpredictable person who had no reasons for anything he did.  He could easily kill her without batting an eye, a fact that was much more apparent in this moment.  Yet, instead of leaping at her like Dr. Crane did, he merely reached for the bag.  “Ya even gave me a mirror!  We  _ are _ determined to make a good impression,” he giggled as he examined the contents of the bag while keeping his head pointed toward the floor.

“I’ll give you a few minutes and I will be turning around to give you some privacy.  Inform me when you’re finished,” the blonde replied, turning her back and staying within easy reach of the male.  In order to gain his trust, she had to show him she trusted him first; despite the fact he had done nothing to earn it.  With people that operated like the Joker and Dr. Crane, you often had to give before you received and that had everything to do with how the two viewed the rest of the world.

After a few moments of him humming to himself and making smacking noises that she could only guess was him evening out the lipstick on his lips, there was more rustling as the items were put back in the bag.  “Nice suit doc.  Has the look of a man’s suit while still complimenting those curves and it’s also nice and casual with those short sleeves.  I can appreciate a woman with good taste in clothing,” came his smooth, slightly nasal voice from behind her.  Then, for a second, it almost felt as if he had brushed her mid-back length hair.  The sensation caused her to whirl around and she had to fight hard against her urge to jump back.

The face that greeted her was even more horrifying in person, stark white with black on the eyes to make the sockets look almost skull-like.  The only bit of color on his face was the red of the lipstick that coated his lips and the rather interesting scars on his cheeks.  The scars were ragged and cruel looking, stretching from the corners of his mouth to nearly both ears.  It almost looked as if someone had tested the sharpness of their knife on his skin.  His eyes, his eyes were hazel, intense, intelligent, full of a dark humor and completely dead.  It was as if the man possessed no emotion other than his humor at the world and it’s rules.  “What d’ya think?” he asked, grinning widely as he spread his gray clad arms out to his sides and tilted his head to the side.  The end result was some of his green hair falling over his face and giving him an even more eerie look.

Unsure of what she should say, Marie only smiled as best as she could while her heart thudded in her chest.  The worst part was, even with the scars and make-up, the Joker actually didn’t look all that bad.  He would have been handsome if his eyes held actual laughter and life, not this cold, dead humor that seemed to laugh at everything and yet nothing at the same time.  “Looks good Joker.  Not a line out of place,” the Psychologist settled on saying, not sure what else she could say.  She couldn’t very well say what she had been thinking, that would be traveling far too close to the road Dr. Quinzel traveled down.

“Ya don’t look all bad yourself,” he replied, his voice slightly more husky as his intense eyes roved over her form in such a way that it made her want to squirm.  It almost felt as if he was undressing her with his eyes and the sensation made her feel ill at ease.  Then his eyes were locking out on hers as his tongue flicked out to lick at his lips and scars. making that wet sound she had heard earlier.

“Mr. Joker, this will be a professional patient to doctor relationship.  Please try to keep things that way,” the young woman ordered, wincing at how some part of her voice almost made it sound like a timid request.

“Sure doc, whatever you, uh, say,” the male replied, smirking slightly as if he knew better.  Then he was clapping his hands, placing them on his rather strong looking thighs and getting to his feet.  Then he was stretching, reaching upwards with his right arm and bending his left to join it; pulling himself up even taller in an effort to flex his muscles.

“I can’t tell ya how good it feels to get outta that, uh, thing,” he sighed, jerking his head to the left swiftly and eliciting a loud crack from his neck.  Then his arms came down as he began to roll his shoulders as well as rub them.

“Yeah, I definitely would recommend them for daily wear.  They may look fancy but boy are they short in comfort,” Marie found herself responding, a bit shocked at her own playfulness.  Why couldn’t she choose a way to act around this man?  One moment she was acting like a professional doctor and the next she was joking back with him, even considering things he was saying.  If things kept going like this, he would be in her head within a week.  What finally shocked her out of her distressing thoughts was a bark of genuine laughter from the criminal.

“You keep surprising me doc and I have to say I like surprises.  I think we’ll get along just fine,” he replied, still slightly giggling as he bent his torso to one side to crack his back.

“I’m glad, that’ll make things a lot smoother for the both of us.  Now let me discuss the next step with the guards and see if they’re amicable,” the blonde responded, before turning around to go to the door of the cage.  The only thing that stopped her was a light grip on her shoulder, making her heart leap right into her throat.

“You can just call them here and save yourself a trip,” he breathed right next to her ear, making her anxiety jolt to all new heights.  Yet, under her fear, there was a tiny glimmer of a feeling she didn’t dare identify.  If she admitted to that feeling, she would be no better than Dr. Quinzel.  Then he was inhaling deeply, burrowing his nose in her hair for a few seconds before he released her.

Turning around to fix Joker with her best ‘disappointed teacher’ glare, she only saw the man grinning back at her; his accentuated smiled holding a dark, almost predatory look.  His hazel eyes were once again roving over her body as his tongue very slowly snaked out to lick at his lips and scars, something oddly sensual about the movement that made something hot and heavy coil low in Marie’s stomach.  Doing her best to ignores this, the Psychologist only nodded quickly before again moving to the door.

Instead of opening it and leaving like she desperately wanted to, the blonde merely called the trio of men facing the gate over to the cage.  After the three had come close enough, the suit clad woman calmly explained the deal she had made to them and got the flabbergasted look she had expected from at least two.  Only Joe didn’t seem all that bothered by her plan.  “Whatever you think is best doc.  We can take care of it if he gets outta hand,” the white haired male replied calmly, his brown eyes flicking quickly to the man behind her.  Sean and Roy only looked at the male in astonishment and disbelief before begrudgingly nodding their cooperation.

“Go to the gate and wait there please,” she requested, not really wanting them that far but knowing it was essential to show Joker as much trust as possible without letting her guard down.  Then she was turning to face the ‘Clown Prince’ of crime, giving him as friendly a smile as she could muster as she walked back towards him.

Joker only smiled back down at her, the scars on his cheeks artificially widening the grin.  Trying to keep her eyes from naturally wandering to the long healed wounds, Marie carefully bent to collect the bag that held the make-up and inspected the contents.  To her shock, everything was there; even the small hand mirror.  Looking back up at him, her surprise must have showed because his grin only widened.  “Like I said, lockdown is way too boring.  Especially when lockdown would limit our, uh, sessions,” he nearly purred as he licked at his scars again, his eyes growing dark as he nearly leered down at the much shorter female.  In fact, she only came up to about his chest.

The sound of his voice caused another wave of unwelcome heat and she fought against the urge to shudder slightly.  As it was, she was already flushing and just that reaction was more than enough for the male in the cell with her.  “Does the thought of missing our ‘sessions’ bother you as well?” Joker husked out, his voice much more throaty as his gaze once again roved slowly, hungrily over her suit clad body.

“Please sit down so I can remove you leg shackles,” she replied simply, fighting hard to keep her reaction to his words hidden.  What he had said had both embarrassed her because she knew she had been caught and frightened her because it was somewhat true.  She already found herself becoming fascinated with the man and his odd behavior.  From everything she had heard, she had expected him to be a lot harder to control and much more violent.  The person before her, while still seeming dangerous, just didn’t seem as dangerous as the news made him out to be.  He almost seemed to border on pleasant and that disconcerted her greatly.

Thankfully, he sat down and remained still while she cautiously unlocked the shackles around his ankles.  As each tumbler turned, she had to fight the urge to flinch as it reminded her that there would be nothing to stop him from trying to charge her.  Nothing to stop him from simply killing her, taking the keys and escaping.  Yet he didn’t move a muscle, not even when the last shackle fell to the floor with a metallic thud.   _ ‘There, now he’s free.  Cripes, I must have one hell of a death wish,’ _ she thought to herself sardonically as she stepped back from him and kept her gaze locked on the man.  “Well, shall we get this circus on the road?” he asked, looking up at her from his seat on the bed.

Getting him to his cell hadn’t been as big of an ordeal as everyone had expected.  In fact, Joker was on oddly good behavior; only making more of his tongue-in-cheek jokes as they went.  Once she had opened the door, he had strode in like the lord of his castle; looking around the small, concrete square with a semi-scrutinizing eye.  Then he turned to her and smiled widely.  “I see you gave me the best suite in the house!” he giggled, motioning to the featureless walls and the tiny, barred window high up on the wall.  There was also a tiny, thin mattress on a metal frame as well as a tiny toilet.

“The accommodations may be shit but the company is great,” she returned before she could stop herself, clapping a hand over her mouth in utter shock.  Why couldn’t she stop joking back?  This man was not her friend and would probably see such behavior as a weakness, something to prise his way into her mind.  Joker only laughed uproariously at her comment, taking several minutes to quiet down again.

“So, when’s our first ‘session’ doc?” the criminal asked, still giggling slightly as he stared at her through his open door.

“Tomorrow at noon,” she replied, already feeling uneasy at the prospect.  Today had gone well but had also gone very bad.  She hadn’t expected her reaction to this man to be so strong, to feel so comfortable around him already.  She would have to be more careful her next appointment or she would end up just like the woman who had preceded her.

“I look forward to it.  See ya then doc,” Joker replied, his grin once again holding a slightly predatory look as he swung to door shut between them.


	3. Nightshift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!: Domestic Abuse. Beating. Psychological Abuse.
> 
> Author’s Note: Gotta say, Joker can make things interesting. Just a head’s up, this chapter is a bit dark. Also, Selina may look a bit different than the movie. This Selina is more based on the idea presented by ‘Batman Returns’ with some tweaks.

Hours later and she was still shaken up by her meeting with ‘The Joker’.  Still finding it hard to believe just how smoothly the whole thing had gone, let alone her reaction to him.  She had actually joked back with him, several times; something Marie was fairly certain was going to come back to bite her in the ass.  Sighing as she lay across the dark wood of her desk, the blonde frowned slightly as she drummed her purple nails restlessly on the polished surface.  “If it keeps going like this, I’ll have to insist the case get handed over to someone else,” the Psychologist groused to herself before she pulled herself into a sitting position.

It wouldn’t do to dwell on the clown, not when she had to visit Selina soon.  Her last appointment of the day was always the infamous cat burglar, mostly because the feline-like woman was much more alert and receptive at night.  Releasing another heavy sigh, the blonde pulled herself to her feet and opened a drawer in her desk.  One thing she had found out about Selina was that the female simply love catnip mice and when given one would often be a lot more cooperative.  Grabbing one from a supply she kept hidden in the drawer, the young woman stuffed the toy into her pants pocket and exited her office.

A short walk later, Marie found herself standing in front of yet another large, steel door.  Nodding to the burly, tall guard by the closed entry, the blonde squared her suit clad shoulders before opening the door and going inside.  The entire room was black, the exception being two pinpoints of light glowing slightly in the gloom.  “Good evening Dr. Jovian,” came a sultry purr from the direction of the two blinking lights.

“Hello Miss Kyle.  How are you tonight?” the Psychologist asked, smiling at the slightly green lights as they faded from sight on occasion but never moved.

“Feeling a bit cooped up,” came the bored sigh.

“I’m sorry about that.  According to your paperwork, you’ve been behaving quite well.  If you can manage to get through another week without clawing any guards you’ll be allowed a short jaunt out in the yards with supervision,” Marie tried to console.

“It’s not my fault they can’t keep their hands or their comments to themselves,” came the irritated answer, slightly tinged by a feline growl.  Then there was the sound of rustling clothes and a whiff of a feminine scent before Selina was right in front of her, the dim moonlight barely enough to allow Marie to see the other woman’s face.

Selina was ghostly pale with vibrant, green eyes that had slitted pupils, much like a cat.  She also seemed to move with an unnatural grace and quietness.  Her black hair framed her face as she bent forward with her nostrils flared.  “You brought me another gift,” she husked out, looking up at Marie with an expectant gaze.

“Well you seem to enjoy them so much and they’re always gone the next time I come in,” the blonde explained, reaching into her black suit pants and bringing out a small, purple mouse.  The tiny toy was immediately snatched as the woman released a gruff purr.  Resisting the urge to pet the female like the cat she was acting like, Marie smiled in amusement as Selina nuzzled the fuzzy object with a look of joy on her face.

Then, all of a sudden, the other woman’s gaze was fixed on her as the criminal began to lean towards her.  Once again, Selina’s nostrils were flared as she seemed to take in the Psychologist’s scent.  “You’ve been assigned the Joker,” she stated, a hint of concern in her slightly glowing eyes.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” Marie sighed, not surprised in the least.  Though it did make her wonder if all of Gotham’s criminals knew eachother.  So far both Selina and Dr. Crane had seemed to know the clown, even seemed to fear him in a way.  After everything she had seen about the man on the news lately, she couldn’t really blame them.  The man seemed to glory in destruction for the sake of causing the greatest amount of upheaval possible.

“Be careful or you won’t be the first woman he’s led down a deadly path,” the former criminal advised, placing a hand briefly on Marie’s suit clad shoulder.

“I’m well aware of what he can do to women Miss Kyle.  I’m sure I’ll be okay,” the blonde replied with more conviction than she felt.

“Mmm you don’t sound too sure but you didn’t come here to talk about him did you?” the other female sighed, before she turned and headed back to her bed.  The moonlight caught her eyes and made them glow once more as the former burglar seemed to be lounging on her bed.

“I wanted to ask you more about how you came to be like... this,” the Psychologist stated, gesturing to the female before her.

“Everyone does.  It’s not a story I like to relive,” Selina replied, sounding slightly agitated as she shifted on her thin mattress.

“I know but I really do think it would help with your recovery if you get some of it off your chest,” Marie suggested gently, staying where she was to give the other woman some space.  Something she had learned early on was that Selina, much like her criminal namesake, preferred to have her space and it was best you waited until you were invited to share it.

“Perhaps you are right.  All of... this,” Selina murmured, the bed squeaking as she moved, “seemed to happen closely after.”

“I suppose you could say it started with my boss, Max Shreck.  You know, the guy I killed before I got caught?  I was his secretary at the time when he was attempting to build that power plant of his,” she sighed, the green lights blinking slowly.

“I remember hearing about that.  Neither the mayor or Bruce Wayne bought into it thankfully,” Marie responded, jotting down a few notes in the dim light.  The incident had happened years ago, ending in scandal for the Department store and the company itself.  Nothing was ever reported in detail about just what the scandal was but it was enough to force Max’s son to shut the whole thing down.

“Then I suppose you heard about the nondescript scandal that was generated by the proposed plant.  I was the one who uncovered his nasty little secret.  He had planned to use the plant to siphon Gotham’s power, forcing people to pay him for electricity.  He stumbled across me when I found the paperwork that uncovered his plan.  He figured out right away just what I had seen and... disposed of me,” came a bitter sounding, yet amused reply.

“What do you mean by that?” Marie asked curiously.  From what it sounded like, Max had killed the woman across from her.  But that just couldn’t be possible!  If that was true, there would be no way the former criminal would be lounging in a bed just across the room.

“He shoved me out of the top floor window.  I still remember the feeling of my body hitting the concrete just before I died,” came the quiet response, her voice sounding a bit frightened.

“Are you saying you actually died?  If that’s what happened, how are you here talking to me?” the Psychologist asked as she jotted down more notes.  The more of the story Selina revealed the more intrigued she was becoming.

“Oh yes, I remember looking down at my ruined body from a great distance in the air.  Then my cat came.  I watched as she spread my lips open with her muzzle, as if she were trying to breathe her own life into me.  Then another cat came and another, each nuzzling my mouth while my own cat began to chew on my fingers; as if to try to wake me up.  As each cat nuzzled my mouth I could feel something entering me, slowly forcing me back into my own body.  Then I was awake and I remembered everything.  You can imagine I went a bit... insane,” came the gruff sounding answer, almost as if remembering all of this was painful for her.

Marie blinked in disbelief as she added more notes to her small pad, then she closed it as she looked up at the pair of glowing lights that were Selina’s eyes.  “What you’re saying, it doesn’t sound...,” she began, not wanting to offend her patient but finding the whole story rather unbelievable.

“Plausible?  Believe me, I know but even you have to admit I have some unusual qualities.  Take my eyes for example or my instinctual liking for catnip.  There’s also the little fact that I should have died at least eight times by now,” she replied, the glowing points that were her eyes moving as she seemed to sit up and turn towards the blonde.

Marie could only stare at the other female, a look of half disbelief on her face.  Though, deep down, she had to admit Selina was right about her eyes.  The luminous orbs in front of her were so like a big cat’s the first time she had seen them, she had almost thought they had accidentally locked her in the room with a leopard.  “I have the scars to prove it even,” the former criminal sighed, sounding almost nostalgic about her brushes with death.

“The last time I almost died was when I killed Shreck.  French kissed him with a taser while pressing him into the control panel of an electricity tower.  Wanna see the burn mark on my tongue?” the other woman asked, the shining dots moving into a standing position and coming closer.

“Um, if you are comfortable showing it,” Marie replied unsurely, doing her very best not to show just how unsettled she was by this conversation.  Her only answer was the two points of light getting closer before Selina’s face was once again illuminated by the moonlight.  The black haired woman was smiling at her with amusement before she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.  Even her teeth half resembled a cat’s, some being more pointy than normal and her tongue seemed to have an unusually rough texture from just a glance.  In the middle of the wet muscle was a large, electrical burn.

Unable to refute the evidence right in front of her, Marie could only blink.  Still, after Killer Croc, it wasn’t the weirdest thing she had seen in Arkham.  “Er, thank you Miss Kyle.  I think that’s enough for one night,” the Psychologist replied, doing her best to keep her nervousness out of her voice.  Everything Selina had told her seemed incredible and with the evidence the former burglar had presented, she needed time to absorb everything.

“Until next time doc,” the other woman purred, smirking down at her before fading back into the darkness of the cell.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Marie exited Selina’s room and absently patted her dirty blonde locks as the metal door shut behind her.  It had been a rather long, stressful day for her and she wanted nothing more to get back to her two bedroom apartment and unwind, preferably with a glass of wine to help settle her frazzled nerves.  Waving to the guard who still stood by the the closed entry, the young woman sighed and made her way back to the doctor’s offices.  Right now she was going to clock out, head home and try to forget everything that had happened today.

Swinging open the door to her humble apartment, Marie was greeted with her meowing cat and a pair of familiar shoes by her door.  “Roger must have come over to stay the night.  I’ve asked him to call before he does this,” she sighed, irritation and a touch of fear in her voice as she moved into her humble home.  As soon as she entered, she saw exactly what she feared; several empty beer cans scattered all over her table, counter and floor.

“Great, he’s drunk too,” she whispered, all irritation fading for outright fear as she bent over to pick up her fat tuxedo cat.  The best thing she could do now was try to sneak to her room and hope Roger had passed out on the couch.

Taking a deep breath, Marie made her way to her room as quietly as possible, her heart thudding loudly in her ears as she crept forward.   _ ‘Just a few more steps to safety, just a few more,’ _ she thought to herself as she started to walk past the couch.  The bright static from the T.V. lit up the room and she couldn’t see the back of his head over the back, making her heart nearly stop in her chest.   _ ‘He could be lying down,’ _ her brain tried to rationalize but the more paranoid part of her couldn’t help but think he was merely playing possum.  Roger had done that before and it had ended disastrously for her.  “Welcome home Mary,” came a deep, slurred voice from the couch, making her blood freeze in her veins.

Then she was running, her vision turned into a tunnel; focused only on the door that was so very far away.  Behind her, she heard Roger moving as he ran after her.  Making a small, frightened noise, Marie tossed her pet ahead of her just as her boyfriend met her back and slammed her to the hard, carpeted floor.  “Run Jasper!” she screamed at her cat, relieved to see the feline already scooting away to hide.  Then she was being turned onto her back as her wrists were pinned above her head by a large, rough hand.

“You don’t sound happy to see me,” the man above her sighed, the smell of beer hitting her nose like a punch.  Roger used to be in the military and was built like a linebacker.  He was rather tall, thickly muscled, had long, brown hair that was tied in a messy ponytail and thick stubble on his cheeks.  His hazel eyes bored into her gray orbs as he sneered down at the woman he pinned to the floor.

Marie tried to swallow her heart as it beat in her throat.  Her mind was a whirlwind of thought as she desperately tried to think her way out of this situation.  Then her knee was coming up without her commanding it, nailing Roger square in the balls.  He was releasing her wrists to cup his manhood, sliding off her as his face began to turn a shade of puce.  Not stopping to assess the situation, the blonde was once again scrambling for her room; her purple nails just touching the cool metal of the knob when her suit clad shoulder was grabbed in an iron grip.  “You’re gonna pay for that, you fucking bitch,” he snarled in a strained voice as he threw her into a wall across the room.

Her back slammed into the plaster coated wall, knocking the breath out of her lungs and forcing her to sink to her knees.  Her dirty blonde hair hung in her face as she desperately tried to draw breath.  Roger waddled over to her while she was incapacitated and she looked up at him through her golden straw hair.  The former general bent down to wrap his thick fingers around the pale column of her neck and picked her up to slam her against the wall.  “You know, it was originally going be just some sex.  Now, now I want you to suffer,” he hissed, holding Marie up against the wall as the young woman began to strangle.

Her vision began to fade as she struggled for breath, then he was dropping her and the Psychologist began to gasp for breath.  All that filled her mind was a need to escape, a need to fight!  Her eyes shifted to Roger who was once again bending toward her, a deep scowl on his face.  When his face was mere inches from hers, she jolted forward her head into his nose.  He jolted his head back, blood flowing freely from his nose as he staggered backwards. “Fuggin’ bish,” he gurgled past the blood clogging his throat as he swayed in place.

Not pausing to take in his words, Marie charged past him and made a final, mad dash for her bedroom.  Her stormy eyes filled with tears as her heart thudded in her ears.   _ ‘Please, please, please, please,’ _ was a frantic mantra in her mind as she seemed to approach her door through thick, cold molasses.  Behind her, Roger was charging after her; a vicious look on his blood covered face.  Once again, her fingertips touched the cool, round metal of the knob just before his meaty hand closed on her shoulder.  It was a like a cruel joke and she let out a bitter laugh as he spun her to face him.  Blood flowed freely from his busted nose and even colored his teeth as he snarled down at her.  Then her world exploded into pain and black and white flashes as he punched her full in the face.  “You fuggin’ tink ya ca’ geddaway wi....,” he began, trailing off as he staggered heavily.

Then the huge mass of human muscle was sliding to his knees and finally collapsing onto his side as he lost consciousness.  Cupping a hand over her injured and swelling eye, Marie fumbled behind herself for her door and let herself into her one sanctuary.  Thankfully, as soon as the door was open, Jasper darted right inside and allowed her to shut and lock herself into the small room.  Inputting a code in the wall, the half blind female watched as a metal door slid into place over the wooden one.  She had gotten this put in soon after she had begun dating Roger, a fact that honestly disturbed her.

Sighing, Marie went right for her bathroom and examined her eye.  She knew Roger was going to kill her, she  _ knew _ that but she still found herself much more afraid of what he would do when she broke up with him.  He had several army buddies  that worked in high profile criminal positions, people that knew how to be invisible and could easily harm her family.  She would much rather the victim be her and had long since resigned herself to her fate.  Sighing as she bent forward to examine her rather impressive shiner, the Psychologist prepared a cold compress.  “This is just great, how the Hell am I gonna explain this to Dr. Crane,” she sighed woefully, taking her cold cloth and going to her bed.

As the exhausted, frightened female laid on her back with the icy cloth on her left eye, Jasper crawled up from under the bed to curl up on her belly.  As she allowed her purple nails to move through his oreo patterned fur, Marie allowed her mind to drift to tomorrow.  She couldn’t very well take the day off and sending someone else to the mercurial doctor would be worse than just coming in.  Wearing make-up or shades would also only upset him much worse and she released a ragged sigh.  “Thanks  _ so _ much Roger!  This is just what I need on my first appointment with Joker,” she growled in a shaky voice, running her hand through her dark yellow hair.

Sprawling on her back, Marie closed her eyes and forced herself to relax.  Tomorrow would be bad but at least it would be several months until she saw Roger’s face again.  Whenever he went this nuclear, it would almost be a year until he dared to show his face to her.  At least there was that much.  Allowing herself to drift into sleep, the overly stressed female began to slip into a familiar nightmare.  A nightmare that felt all too real.  A nightmare about the night her first boyfriend had died.  Whimpering in her sleep, Marie curled around her pet as she rode out a blood filled, confused haze.


	4. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Yeah, today’s gonna be hard for our lovely Psychologist.

Pain was the first sensation of the day.  Groaning as agony exploded in the left side of her face, Marie slowly sat up and gingerly poked the swelling she knew would be there.  Sure enough, her left eye had swollen completely shut despite the cold cloth.  The bastard must have hit her really hard and she sighed in frustration.  She was almost afraid to see what the damage looked like but she had to get ready for work.  Gathering what courage she had, the young woman go to her feet and shuffled to her bathroom.  As soon as she saw her reflection in the mirror she winced.

The left side of her face looked like she had gone a few rounds with a professional boxer and Roger had only hit her once.  Her eye was a swollen, alarmingly purple ball of swollen flesh.  Some blood had even dribbled from her overly stressed skin and had dried on her wound, meaning she would have the unpleasant task of cleaning it. Grimacing at the sight of herself, the blonde doused a washcloth in cold water before getting to work.  As the rough material moved over the sensitive, purple-black skin, Marie let out small, pained whimpers.

After tending to her face and taking a quick shower, the Psychologist blowdried her hair as she decided to forgo any make-up today.  All the make-up would do was draw even more attention to the huge shiner and bruising that she couldn’t hide.  Combing her dirty blonde locks into a ponytail, Marie stalked out into her room to pull out a dress suit for today.  The first thing her hands landed on was a purple suit that came with a green undershirt, the sight of it nearly making her snort in laughter from the irony of it.  Shoving the purple suit to the side, she tugged out a rather fashionable looking black one.   _ ‘At least it’ll match the bruise on my eye,’ _ she thought to herself sardonically as she began to pull it on.

The steel door slid open with a loud clunk, revealing her actual door had been destroyed along with most of her apartment.  At some point in the night, Roger must have awoken and had one of his PTSD flashbacks coupled with his rage towards her daring to hide from him.  Pillows were tossed all over, most of them seeming to be ripped open by a knife or his bare hands.  All of her furniture had either been upended or completely destroyed.  Her kitchen was also in shambles, food, plates and the cupboards themselves thrown all over.  Sighing at the damage but not surprised by it, Marie simply scanned the trashed apartment for any signs that her boyfriend was still there.

The only sign he had ever been there besides the devastation was a small note taped to her apartment door.  Heading to the door, she pulled off the note to see it was one of his many meaningless apologies.  Crumpling up the paper and simply throwing it on the floor, Marie grabbed her purse, her keys and left her apartment.  By the time she got back Roger would have sent in one of his many ‘cleaning crews’ and her apartment would look like it had never been destroyed, one of the very few perks of dating someone connected to Gotham’s underground.  Slipping on a pair of sunglasses to avoid questions as she made her way to the parking garage, the Psychologist did her best to steel herself for the Hellish day that lay ahead.

As she walked up to the looming building of Arkham, Marie found herself walking slower and slower.  If she was late for her daily appointment with Dr. Crane there would be even more Hell to pay, making her put a little more speed into her strides.  Opening the door, she slipped off her shades and winced at the receptionist’s staring.  “Should I have extra security brought to the doc?” asked the brunette, her hazel eyes sympathetic.

“No, you know that’ll only make things that much worse,” Marie sighed, giving the younger woman a tired grin.  Katrina was an intern, about eighteen years old and had chosen to make friends with the blonde Psychologist.  A fact that Marie honestly didn’t mind in the least.  The more normal people she made friends with, the better.  The younger woman only sighed before giving a small nod.

“They just finished with the morning hygiene for the Level 5 patients.  All reports returned positive.  Even Joker behaved himself for his shower and tooth cleaning,” Katrina replied, deciding to revert back to normal and give the morning report.  Yet another reason Marie honestly liked the young receptionist.  No matter what she looked like the next day, the teen never asked questions or pressed the issue.

“Well at least there’s that,” the blonde sighed before heading further into the huge building and towards her office to check in.  It was all she could do to ignore the winces and whispers from the other doctors but she managed to hold her head high as she entered her spacious office and shut the door.

Time seemed to pass much too fast and all too soon she found herself heading to  Dr. Crane’s cell.  Her heart beat a wild tempo in her chest as she tried to steel herself for the doctor’s reaction to her wound.  The last time Roger had injured her this badly, Jonathan hadn’t taken it all that well.  He had begun raving and very nearly choked the life out of her when he suddenly transitioned to ‘Scarecrow’.  It had taken two guards to pry him off her throat while ‘Ol Joe helped her escape.  Taking a deep breath and shoving her fear to the far back of her mind, the Psychologist swung the heavy metal door open and entered the small room.

The former criminal’s head shot up, his friendly smile fading as his eyes took in the state of the left side of her face.  “Dr. Jovian... I thought I advised you to leave that... that...,” he whispered, his voice growing more gruff and throaty and he spoke.  The blue in his eyes also started to darken as his hands began to twitch.

“Calm yourself Dr. Crane.  I have told you more than once my relationships are none of your concern,” she replied, her voice stern and icy as she glared up at him with more confidence than she felt.

“It becomes my business when the slime injures you!  How much more will it take for you to leave him?!  Will it take him killing you?!” he hissed, his voice becoming a guttural snarl as he began to stalk towards her.

“Jonathan please!  I don’t want to end this visit with you in restraints.  What happens in my personal life is really none of your concern and worrying yourself about me will only impede your treatment,” Marie tried to reason, not daring to move.  Despite how cool and distant her voice sounded, her heart was dancing a flamenco in her chest; nearly making it impossible for her to breath.  Thankfully what she said seemed to give him enough time to wrest a tiny bit of control from the dark entity that shared his body.

“No, no.  I do not wish to harm you,” he hissed, his voice riding a thin line between normal and a deep, raspy husk.

“Dr. Crane, do you think you can calm yourself enough to continue our session?” the determined female asked, her voice not giving away the fact that she wanted to run out of there as fast as she could.  The painfully thin male in front of her twisted in place, a dark cackle ripping from his chest as he began to run his hands down his face.

“Dr. Crane?  Keh heh heh, noooooo,” came a deep, rattling growl as the former doctor twitched and undulated in front of her.  The way his long limbs moved was unnatural, giving the stunned woman a deeply sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Looking at the man in front of her felt... wrong somehow.

“Scarecrow?” she whispered tentatively, doing her level best to keep her fear and discomfort out of her voice.  This was the first time she had ever heard the secondary personality talk.  Usually the more violent manifestation was more interested in wringing the life out of her.

“Yesssssss.  Gooood goodgoodgoodgood!,” he crowed, clapping his hands in an unsettling manner while releasing peals of laughter that sounded more like screams.  A bit unsettled by his odd behavior, Dr. Jovian began to subtly move towards the door.  She wanted to be as close to escape as possible in case events turned even more dangerous.

“You’ve been a naughty girrrl,” he growled, shuddering slightly with silent laughter as his glittering, now black eyes locked with hers.

“How have I been naughty?” Marie asked in as neutral of a tone as she could muster.  By some wonder her voice didn’t shake and she was able to meet the pure insanity of his gaze steadily.  If she broke contact, she had a feeling something horrible would happen.

“Yoooou, you’ve made  _ us _ scared,” he hissed, his voice a near demonic growl that made her skin crawl with fear.  What she saw before her acted and sounded  _ nothing _ like Jonathan!  Could this thing before her really just be another part of his personality?

“Supposed to be afraaaid, not usssss.  Naughty, naughty thing, naughty little pet,” the thing that wore Jonathan’s skin snarled, its voice an inhuman husk as it continued to run its fingers down  _ his _ face.

“I apologize for scaring you.  I did not mean to cause you more trauma.  I can assure you that I have taken proper measures to ensure my safety,” the blonde tried to reassure, slowly going to her knees in an effort to try to appear less threatening.  She held up her open, empty palms and kept her gray gaze fixed steadily on his ebony one.  Usually he would have had her by her throat by now so whatever happened next, she considered what was happening to be significant progress.

Her prostrating herself had an odd effect on the male and he jittered in place, his breathing stuttering as his gaze became unsure.  “Not right!  Notrightnotright!” he snarled, tearing at his hair lightly as he began to pace.  Looking at him with barely hidden confusion, Marie tried to soothe him with shushing noises.  Instead of calming, he charged her, his long, unusually cold hands clasping on her bare upper arms.   His touch made her skin crawl and it took all the willpower she had within her to not squirm in his grasp.

“On your feet! Up _ Up!” _ he screamed yanking her to her feet forcibly, his dark gaze fixed on her.  Then his nose was burrowed in her neck as he inhaled deeply, his hands twitching on her arms spastically.

Doing her level best not to go stiff or allow herself to shake, the Psychologist stayed perfectly still while the murderer holding her arms continued to take in her scent.  Low, throaty growls left the thin male as he stayed latched to one spot on her neck, right above her jugular.  “Afraaaaaid of usssss,” the thing masquerading as Dr. Crane snarled in a half accusing tone just before it ran  _ his _ tongue over her flesh.

“Yet not,” Scarecrow continued, sounding awed as he pulled back to look her over.  Then he was sniffing her all over, resembling a puppy so much that she had to fight the horrible urge to giggle.

“You... you  _ trust _ ,” it rattled before releasing her and taking several steps back.  It looked like this knowledge caused a fair amount of distress, the thin form of Dr. Crane going to his knees and holding his head as he began to rock back and forth.  As she watched the disturbing display, Marie wondered if she should leave or if she should approach her distressed patient.

“Out!” Scarecrow snarled, making up her mind for her.  Not wasting time to question things, Marie simply opened the door and fled the cell.

Once she was safe, the young woman let out a small sigh before she made her way back to the offices.  She had a few more hours before her meeting with Joker, more than enough time to get herself together and gather what courage she had left.  At least with Jonathan she had a working idea of what to expect.  Would the mass murderer even care about how she looked when she showed up for their appointment?  Would the sight of her injuries cause some unwanted memories to surface?  Would he fly into a rage on her behalf in an attempt to lower her guard around him?  Her mind swimming with possibilities, Marie took a deep breath before flinging herself into her chair.

Time always loves to speed by when you are dreading something.  All too soon it was time for her to head to her new patient’s cell.  She had spent hours agonizing over whether or not she should hide her injury under make-up and in the end she decided not to.  Joker was anything but stupid and unobservant.  He would be able to tell right away she was attempting to hide her injuries and she highly doubted someone like him would be happy about her attempts at duplicity.  Then again, the man simply could just not care in the first place.  In all honesty, she had no idea how he would react and had wanted to be as cautious as possible.  Taking a moment to gather her racing thoughts, Dr. Jovian straightened her shoulders and began to walk back to the Level 5 quarters.

In what seemed like mere seconds, Marie found herself faced with the metal door that led to the infamous ‘Clown Prince of crime’s’ cell.  Taking a deep breath to slow her racing heart, the young woman entered the cell with as much confidence as she could muster.  Thankfully he was facing away from her, fiddling with something on the far wall of his cell.  “Good afternoon Joker,” she called in a quiet but jovial voice, desperately hoping she didn’t startle him.

“Hey Doc!  Been wonderin’ when you would be coming to visit!  Things get so boring ‘round here,” he sighed in playful complaint, waving a hand over his shoulder at her.  Then he was turning to grin at her and it was all she could do not to tense as his smile faded while a deadly look came into his green eyes.

“What happened?” came a hissed question as he slowly turned to face her.  The lines of his body spoke of murderous rages as his gaze fixed on the left side of her face.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss my personal life with patients,” she sighed, her voice coming out lightly irritated despite how scared she was.  The black around his eyes only served to draw more attention to the sparkling orbs as he glowered at her through his green dyed hair.

“Yet you ask us ‘patients’ all sorts of questions about  our personal lives.  I’m only going to ask you one more time Dr. Jovian, what happened,” he bit out, a deadly edge to his voice as his hands flexed by his sides.

When she failed to answer him within seconds, he charged her and slammed her against the wall.  One of his arms pressed tightly against her throat as he brought his make-up coated, snarling face to mere inches of touching hers.  “Ya see, I don’t take lightly when others but me play roughly with  my  toys.  I said I won’t ask again, so tick-tock Doc,” he hissed, his arm flexing to cut off her air supply slightly.  Just as her world faded to black, the door slammed open and Joker was ripped off her.

“Ya can’t keep it from me forever!” was the last thing she heard before she knew no more.


	5. A Little Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Marie can’t seem to get a break.

A muffled male voice that sounded like with was trying to travel through cotton that was underwater was the first thing she became aware of.  The next thing she became aware of was burning pain on her throat.  Groaning as her gray eyes fluttered open, Marie saw the concerned face of Mr. Mickleson hovering over her.  “Marie!  Are you alright,” he asked in a concerned but soft voice, which she was thankful for.  Whether it was from the brief lack of oxygen or the stress of the current situation, she now had a pounding headache and all she wanted to do was go home and take long, very hot bath.

“Yeah, I’m sorta used to it after all my encounters with Crane’s alter ego,” she sighed, slowly sitting up and holding her pulsing head in her hands as she closed her eyes against the harsh lights.

“Do you need me to drive you home?” the dark haired male asked, looking at her with concern in his ebony eyes.

“No, I’ll be okay to drive in a few moments.  Would you mind if I took the rest of the day off?” the Psychologist asked, thankful that her boss kept his voice low and soothing.

“I was just about to suggest that.  I’ll stay with you until you feel strong enough to drive,” the scottish male declared, sitting in a chair beside the couch she had been laid on.  With a brief look at her surroundings, the blonde saw she was in her office and was on her own therapy couch.

“Dave, really.  I’ll be fine,” Marie tried to assure, not daring to move as her headache thudded in the back of her head.

“Sweetie, you and I have known each other since you were just a little one.  I know you’ll be fine but just allow me to indulge in taking care of you,” her boss chided gently, giving her a glass of water and a few ibuprofen.

Taking the medicine with a grateful look, the young female slowly sat up and gingerly swallowed the pills.  Dave Mickleson had been one of her father’s young interns and had become almost like an Uncle to her.  When he had hired her on at Arkham, she had worried it had been because he favored her and that he would be unable to maintain professionalism around her.  Five years of working for him had proven her wrong on both counts.  While at work, they were simply boss and employee.  Right now, though, she was both happy and scared to see him.

Marie could see the concern fade for outright rage as his dark gaze shifted to the left side of her face.  “Did he also do that to you or did yae ‘ave tha’ bef’re yae came in,” he rumbled, his voice becoming thick with an angry brogue as his rage grew.  As easy as it would be to simply blame Joker for her injury, the Psychologist couldn’t bring herself to do that to him or anyone.

“What do  _ you _ think Dave?” she sighed, laying back down to wait for the pain meds to kick in.  The sooner the rotten tooth throbbing in her head stopped, the better.

“It was Roger,” the weary female continued, avoiding the gaze of her practical uncle.  As she predicted, the suit wearing male shot to his feet as his hands curled into tight fists by his sides.

“Tha’ sonova...,” he paused to close his eyes as he took a deep breath, a muscle in his jaw tensing as he breathed out through his nose.

“He’s gonna kill yae one o’ these days Marie.  I almos’ have half a mind t’let tha’ crazy bastard Crane out t’take care o’ him fer t’both o’ us,” the Scottish male growled out as his eye opened to reveal deep fury.

“Dave, I know.  There’s nothing anyone can do, no one that can save me.  I dug this grave when I didn’t break it off after he revealed his criminal connections.  Releasing Crane would succeed in his murder but then what?  Who’s going to protect the rest of my family from the fall-out.  For all I know, he has it set up so when he dies in any way that isn’t an accident; I’m the first suspect,” Marie replied, sounding utterly defeated as she continued to avoid looking at her concerned ‘uncle’.

Her words caused him to deflate considerably and his shoulders slumped as he ran a large hand through his tied back hair.  “I know but I can’t just sit by and watch that beast tear apart someone who is like my own daughter,” he replied in a gruff, emotion filled voice as his dark eyes locked on her.

“The situation can’t be helped, it simply is what it is.  No one can save me now,” she sighed, smiling despite the grimness of the subject.  Back when Roger had revealed his connections the first time he had beaten her, she had known she wasn’t going to get out of this relationship alive.  Dave only looked at her sadly before schooling his expression into more of a boss-like one.

“I must commend you for how you handled two difficult situations today.  I’m aware of what happened with Dr. Crane before you went to see Joker.  I’m sure you’d like to know that Jonathan has returned to normal and has been asking for you frantically.  Joker, on the other hand, became explosive for a while after we rescued you and then descended into silence.  He appears to have draw a rather nasty mural on the wall with his make-up as well,” Mr. Mickleson told her, knowing going back to normalcy was all they could really do at this point.  No matter how much he hated to admit it, there was truly no way to save Marie without risking the rest of her family.  Roger’s connections had deep ties in police forces all over the country as well as political ties.  It would be a small matter for them to find her mother, sister and three nieces.  They were stuck with no good solution and there was really no point in arguing about it.

“Jon... I mean, Dr. Crane became lucid enough to ask for me?” the Psychologist asked, her voice tinged with disbelief and tentative wonder.  Normally, after a night with Roger, it would take days for the former Psychiatrist to calm down enough for her to not be attacked as soon as she entered the cell.

“Yes, he became rather violent with himself and we had to put him into restraints.  If you do not feel up to a visit, we could always...,” the old man began, only to be cut off by a harsh, angry glare from the woman on the couch.

“I know it’s procedure but no!  I will never agree to tranquilizing a patient just to make them easier!  For fuck’s sake Dave, these are people!  As hard as they can be to deal with, they still deserve to be treated with respect,” the suit wearing femme hissed, anger making her headache flare again.  Sighing in frustration and disgust, the blonde tore her gaze from her boss and glared at the back of the couch.

Silence filled the room like a living thing after her heated declaration as the taller man rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.  “I’ll tell the guards to let you in when you feel up to it.  If you need anything, text me,” the ponytail wearing male announced, giving her an apologetic look before he left her in peace.  As soon as he was gone, Marie sighed in exasperation.  He had meant well but she had asked him again and again to not even bring up the idea to her.  She hated how some of the ‘doctors’ here would use the tranqs that were only for emergencies just so they could go out on a hot date.  Letting out a calming breath, Marie tried to steady herself before her second meeting with Dr. Crane.  It wouldn’t do for her to still be upset when he was already wildly unstable.

A few moments later and the weary Psychologist found herself in front of the former doctor’s door for the second time that day.  Giving a weak nod to the two guards that stood on either side, Marie opened the door and strode in with far more confidence than she honestly felt at that moment.  As soon as she was in the room, Jonathan was taking hold of her arms and examining her closely.  His sky blue eyes glimmered with intense fear as he seemed to assess her for injury.  His gaze halted at the sight of the bruise on her throat and guilt began to mix with the terror.  “Did I...  Did he...,” the ex-Psychiatrist stammered, gesturing to the fresh wound with a stricken, kicked dog look.

“No, no.  Scarecrow was...  He didn’t try to harm me.  He actually spoke to me.  As for this new bruise, let’s just say you weren’t the only one that was upset by my boyfriend’s actions,” the blonde replied much more calmly that she actually felt.  On the inside, it was taking everything within the twenty-eight year old not to simply run back out the door.  Her most recent encounter with her patient had been disturbing on many levels and she had no wish for a repeat.

“He... it.. he... spoke?” Dr. Crane gasped out, sounding utterly flabbergasted.  Just grateful he had let the fact Joker had essentially assaulted her slide, Marie gave a small nod with a neutral smile on his face.

“He spoke... to you,” he sighed out again in a stunned voice, his blue eyes holding wonder and astonishment as they met hers.

“He was barely coherent but yes.  He seemed... concerned for me as well, in his own way,” she responded, feeling a bit of amusement under her trepidation.  Seeing the normally calm, cool, logical male so off balance was borderline adorable.  She could almost forget he had murdered a lot of people and drove even more insane.

Her response caused another astonished look before the surprise turned into studying.  “He was worried?” he asked with a tone of disbelief.  Not blaming him one bit, Marie only smiled and gave another short nod in reply.  So far his alter ego had only shown an interest in violence and witnessing people go mad from their inner demons.  On top of that, the darker personality had two reactions to her normally; quiet hostility or outright attack.

“He didn’t seem happy about that fact.  Seemed to be angry at me for it but he didn’t seem to want to attack me for a change,” Marie informed him, staying still and keeping her eyes on the taller man in front of her.  What she told him drew another shocked look from the former criminal before he slowly nodded and seemed to accept the information.

“I’m not surprised.  He’s more used to causing fear than feeling it for the sake of someone else,” Dr. Crane responded, a small, tentative smile beginning to appear on his lips.

“There was something else.  Scarecrow seemed disturbed by the fact that while I feared you both, I also trusted you two.  He ordered me to leave soon after,” the Psychologist continued, apprehensive about sharing those facts but knowing the intelligent man deserved to know.

“You... you trust...  _ us?! _  Me, I can understand but  _ him _ ,” the ex-Psychiatrist stammered, his eyes going wide as he staggered in place.  He looked almost painfully hopeful but scared to death, almost as if not very many people had chosen to trust him so implicitly.

“No matter how violent he is with me, he still deserves to be treated with the benefit of the doubt.  Despite his numerous attempts on my life, I’m willing to give him as much time as he needs to stop his violent behavior.  Everyone has a reason for acting the way they do and all it takes is a little understanding and patience to get past their defense mechanisms,” the blonde replied, a bit saddened by the fact he sounded so incredulous.  It seemed like he hadn’t been treated all that well before he was brought in and she knew for a fact she was the only Psychiatrist that wasn’t completely afraid of him.

Her words seemed to give him pause and something about his face softened.  It was almost as if all of his walls had crumbled at once and the normally guarded, dangerous man had let her in.  Then he was gathering her in a crushing hug, his thin but strong body shaking from the sheer emotion running through him.  “You trust me.  You trust  _ him _ .  I can’t begin to possibly tell you...  This means more to me than my extensive vocabulary can possibly express,” he sighed in a slightly gruff voice as overwrought tears rolled down his gaunt face.  Then his gaze locked on the left side of her face and his joyful expression faded for fury and fear.

“I’ll be okay Dr. Crane.  I...,” she began before she was interrupted by her patient’s angry voice.

“I do believe we are beyond formalities on my end Dr. Jovian.  Call me Jonathan from now on.  As for the... beast that did this to you, I trust you to take care of yourself.  I will just warn you of this, if he kills you the world will not know a wrath like mine and will never know one since,” he hissed out, his blue gaze holding a steel edge as he gave her a stern glare.  His anger wasn’t directed at her, for her there was only a protective concern.

His heated declaration nearly caused her heart to stop in her chest as her eyes widened.  Quickly composing her pale face back into a more neutral look, Marie tried to come up with an appropriate response to his statement.  Before she could fully formulate one, all expressions on his handsome face faded for worry and he placed his hands on her shoulders in a loose grip.  “You look absolutely exhausted.  Go home and rest, you’ve had a rough day,” the taller male ordered in a no nonsense voice.

“I was going to go do just that after our visit,” Marie responded with a soft grin, internally thankful for the change in subject.  While she had no doubt Jonathan would make good on his threat, there was simply nothing the young woman could do about it.  She could no more stop the inevitable than she could stop the resulting rampage.

“Don’t worry about me, go home and take a nap,” urged the mass murderer, unprecedented concern in his baby blues.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay Jonathan?  Your guard said you had been in extreme distress,” the Psychologist asked, still determined to do her job despite just how bone weary she felt at the moment.

“Either you go home this minute or you’re going to wind up laying in my bed and taking a nap here while I kill off all the guards,” he ordered, his voice gaining a familiar gruffness as his eyes began to darken.

Not wanting to push her luck any further, Marie bowed to the former most respected Psychiatrist in Gotham and took her leave.  Once she was out of the cell, she quickly made her way to the main offices and turned left.  Right now she wanted to get in her car and to her apartment before anything else happened.  She wanted a nice hot bath and a good nap with her cuddly cat.  Power-walking to her car, the exhausted woman threw herself into the vehicle and drove home.  Little did she know that once she left, dominoes would begin to fall in place during lunch.

Jonathan was under close watch by a guard due to his recent assault on Dr. Jovian but he took the development in stride.  Grabbing a tray of food and heading to a table with his appointed babysitter in tow, the ex-criminal was surprised and dismayed when Joker plopped down in a seat beside him.  Narrowing his icy eyes at his unwanted companion, Dr. Crane scooted away from the green haired man to put some needed distance between them.  “Aw, don’t act like that Craney!  We’re old friends after all,” the painted man cackled before beginning to shovel food in his mouth.

“What do  _ you _ want,” the taller, dark haired male sighed before taking a forkful of roast beef and putting it in his mouth.

“To have a lil chat ‘bout our favorite Doc,” the man to his right replied, an oddly dangerous edge to his baritone voice, causing the former Psychiatrist to look at his lunch-mate.  Joker had a murderous frown on his white painted face, the red on his lips accentuating his slight sneer.

“And what do  _ you _ care about Dr. Jovian,” Crane sighed, putting emphasis on the woman’s professional name.  Whatever the criminal next to him had to say about her, it was sure to be bad.

“She interests me Craney and there’s just somethin’ about her but that’s neither here nor there.  Point is I got an idea to take care of her ‘little problem’.  All it would take is some time and a bit of planning,” the clown replied from between gritted teeth, sounding as pissed as the former Psychiatrist currently felt.

“As much as I would love to take care of that beast, I am well aware of your history.  I’m not inclined to aid you just so  _ you _ can abuse her instead,” Jonathan snarled, turning his head to glare at his companion.  Joker returned the glare, a muscle ticking gently in his made-up cheek as he looked like he very much wanted to stab the former murderer.

“Do you want to help her or would you rather she die by  _ his _ hands?  Besides, you ain’t all that innocent,” the colorful male bit out, glaring heatedly as he stabbed his food viciously with his plastic fork.

“What do you have in mind,” Jonathan hissed quietly out of the side of his mouth, his voice roughening as ‘Scarecrow’ slipped forward slightly.  Joker only grinned widely before outlining his plan by using his peas and mashed potatoes.

A shrill ringing was dragging her through the deep, comforting water of sleep.  Groaning muzzily, Marie fumbled for the phone on her nightstand.  She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep, she had merely thrown herself on her bed to gather her strength to make lunch.  Disoriented and groggy, the blonde picked up the handset of her corded phone.  Before she could even open her lips, a harried, male voice was frantically pleading with her.  “Marie?  Marie thank God!  It’s Joker!  He’s completely lost it!  He’s attacked one of the guards for his cell and is holding him hostage with a knife made out of a plastic fork from lunch.  He’s demanding  _ you _ ,” Dave Mickleson huffed into the phone, sounding scared and out of breath.

In an instant, the young woman was off her bed and changing into fresh clothes.  Since she was sure she would be sent home right after this was over, she opted for a pair of blue jeans and a dark red t-shirt.  Instead of fixing her dirty blonde locks, Marie tied them back in a ponytail and hurriedly put on a pair of worn tennis shoes.  Then she was speeding off to the hospital, reaching Arkham within moments.  As soon as she entered the building, Mr. Mickleson was grabbing her arm in a firm grip and leading her to Joker’s cell.

When they reached the closed door, the brave female didn’t waste time waiting for her boss’ okay; simply entering the cell like she had every right.  Joker was standing in the middle, one of the younger guards held in his clutches.  On the wall behind him, several faceless stick figures were in various stages of dismemberment.  Repressing a shudder, Marie forced a smile on her face as her patient dutifully released his hostage and flushed his makeshift weapon down the toilet.  “Hey again Doc,” the green haired male purred, a frightening smile on his decorated face.


	6. Bad to Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: The day that just would not end.

“Taking a guard hostage is not an appropriate way to get a hold of me,” Marie scolded sternly, doing her best not to show just how afraid she was of the insane man in front of her.

“It was the most entertaining way,” the green haired male replied, his green gaze not moving from the left side of her face.  A fact that made the bruised female feel rather self conscious.

“I doubt it was entertaining for that poor boy.  He’s only been here a year,” the psychologist sighed, fighting the urge to pinch her nose in frustration.  It was useless to try to get the man to feel guilt for what he had done but it was her job to make sure he knew what he had done was not okay.

“I’m afraid that because of your actions you will have a guard with you during your bathroom and shower time.  You also will no longer be allowed to eat with the group.  Until you behave for a month, you will basically be in solitary,” the blonde continued, giving him her best stern look.  This only sent the clown into gales of his signature, horrifying laughter.

“You look like a mother scolding an errant child!” he hooted, holding his belly as his laughter slowly tapered off.  Wiping tears of mirth from his sparkling eyes, he gave a grin that made her skin crawl.  It was the grin of a man that was utterly and violently insane.

“You know, solitary sounds awfully boring.  Will you still be having sessions with me?” he purred, a deadly edge to his eyes as he continued to stare at her injury.

“Of course, your behavior has no impact on the therapy you receive,” Marie replied, doing her best to remain neutral.

“Ya know, you were, uh, a lot more fun yesterday,” he sighed in a disappointed voice, his tongue flicking out to lick the scars at the corners of his mouth.

“Why did you want to see me so badly that you felt you had to hold someone hostage?” the suit wearing woman replied, still managing to sound professional despite how badly off balance the man was throwing her.  She felt an odd longing to fall back into simply joking with him as if they had always been friends, a desire that would only lead down a dark road for her.  As if she didn’t have enough problems with Roger.

“I want ta know who did that to ya,” the dangerous man growled, gesturing to her ugly shiner.

“I can’t share personal details of my life with a patient.  Besides, that was no reason to hold someone at knife point,” Marie reasoned, doing her level best not to simply flee from the cell.

Her answer seemed to greatly displease the gray jumpsuit wearing male.  A furious frown furrowed his painted brow and his red lips twisted into a snarl.  It was almost as if he was baring his teeth at her, making a jolt of thick fear race through her veins.  “Yet you’ll expect  _ me _ to tell you what is no doubt very personal to me.  Tsk, tsk Doc; is that any way to build a ‘trust’ with your patient?” Joker growled, the black around his eyes giving him an even more sinister look.  The young psychologist opened her mouth to argue but promptly shut it.  Despite the fact that she was a doctor and a professional, she had to admit she was being highly hypocritical.

“You’re right.  How can I expect you to trust me with your inner secrets when I won’t even tell you my first name or how I got injured,” she sighed, running a purple nailed hand through her straw colored hair.  The green haired male before her waved a hand for her to continue, an impatient look on his face.

“It was my boyfriend,” she whispered, keeping his name out of it just in case Joker had his own connections.

In a flash, the much taller man crossed the room; his hands slamming on the concrete wall beside her head as he brought his make-up coated face mere inches from hers.  He breathed heavily through his nose as his green eyes burned with hatred.  “And tell me, kitten, did ya do anything to, uh, deserve such a harsh beating,” the clown hissed, venom in every syllable he spat out.

“Unless you count coming home that day, no,” she sighed.  In her mind, unless the woman was being a danger to her partner; there was no right to ever raise a hand to a woman.  Her response seemed to set the former criminal off like a mortar round.

Joker shoved himself away from her and flipped over his bed.  Then he proceeded to try and successfully tear the lock box that held his make-up off the bottom of the frame.  Once he got the metal rectangle in his hand, the enraged man threw it at the wall that had the drawings on it as hard as he could.  The sturdy container broke apart on impact from the force, spraying cosmetics all over the tiny room.  “Ma’am, do ya need an evac?” called one of the guards from outside the cell, making the pissed madman turn his gaze to the metal door.

“No!  I’m fine!  He’s throwing stuff around but none of it is even close to being aimed at me yet,” Marie called, keeping her stormy gaze fixed on the panting patient before her.  A slow grin curled the criminal’s ruby lips, the scars on his mouth making it look more like a chesire grin.

“I’ll let ya keep his name for now Doc.  Thanks for, uh, answering my question,” he purred, looking all too satisfied as malice danced in his eyes.  Then the vibrant orbs were gliding over her suit clad form, his tongue snaking out to give his lips and scars a much slower lick than usual.  Taking that as her cue to leave, Marie flung open the cell door and fled; hearing his bark of horrible laughter as she went.

Once home from that ordeal, the blonde flung herself on her couch, burrowed her face into a decorative pillow and let out an exasperated sigh.  Nothing about her life was normal or easy at the moment.  Any other person would have had a nervous breakdown from all the encounters with Scarecrow alone and here she was dealing with the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’.  It would be a blue miracle if she could get out of this without being seduced or driven mad herself.  “Jasper, I vote we pack up and move to the Bahamas.  Or better yet Jamaica.  At least Jamaica has pot,” she sighed to her oreo colored, overweight cat.  The feline only looked at her neutrally before proceeding to clean his empty scrotum.

“Gee thanks for that valuable wisdom,” she chuckled, getting up and going to the kitchen to make herself some food.

She was in the middle of making a sandwich when she heard a knock on her door, something that immediately had her on guard.  Thanks to Roger, there was now only one person who knocked on her apartment door and that was him.  Not wanting to deal with him or his apologies so soon, Marie debated on whether or not she should pretend she wasn’t home.  “Marie?  Babe, ya in there?  I saw your car outside and I want to know if everything is alright,” came a very familiar, male voice.  The Psychologist stood absolutely still, not daring to even breath lest he hear her and insist on being let in.  She had learned over the years that Roger had developed quite a sense of hearing while in service, something that she was sure was a survival tactic.

After a few heart stopping moments, she heard his heavy steps going away from the door and dared to let out a small sigh of relief.  She was thankful it was so soon after he had beaten her, otherwise he wouldn’t have hesitated to use his key to get in and check if she was there for himself.  Marie could only hope that he didn’t decide to come back.  She hated that he kept tabs on her apartment building and that any anomaly was bound to bring him knocking.  Heaving an exasperated breath, the young female finished making her sandwich and went back to the couch.

It was well beyond dark when her phone rang again.  Marie had been in the middle of watching ‘Hellraiser’ so the loud ringing nearly made her bolt straight to the ceiling.  Jasper, who had been on her lap, was unceremoniously thrown to the carpeted floor of the living room.  Giving her a disgusted glare, the overweight cat sauntered over to one of her chairs and curled up in it; still giving her a sour look.  Ignoring her disdainful pet, the half awake female flung herself off the couch; running to the phone and picking it up off the cradle.  “Hello?” she asked in a sleepy voice, trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.

“Marie, Dr. Crane has escaped,” came a familiar, elderly sounding voice.  What he said made her blood run cold from fear.  Surely she had to have heard wrong.

“Ol’ Joe?” she asked, not wanting to acknowledge what he had told her.

“The very same ma’am.  Did you hear what I said?” he asked in a patient but tired sounding voice.

“No, I’m sorry.  The connection must have been faulty.  Could you repeat it?” she asked, closing her eyes tightly as her heart thudded in her chest.  Surely she had heard wrong, surely he was just calling because one of her patients was acting up and needed her to come in.

“No problem ma’am.  What I said was Dr. Crane escaped,” the old guard replied, causing a jolt of fear to race through her.   _ ‘That’s what I thought you said,’ _ she sighed to herself.

“Have the authorities been called?  Did anyone inform Mr. Mickleson?” Marie asked, her training kicking in full force.  A fact that she was grateful for.  Right now she was in far too much chaos in her head to be anything but on autopilot.  Where was Crane now?  Was he going to try to find where she lived?  Would he try to kill her?

“Yes on both counts ma’am.  Just thought I should give ya a call as well, what with your relationship with him,” the older male replied, sounding just a touch concerned for her.  This effectively broke her out of her spiral and she took a deep breath to calm herself.  While Scarecrow was dangerous, the alter ego had shown just a tiny bit of regard for her recently.  Maybe she would get lucky and he would just leave her alone.

“He’s not the only one that got out either,” Ol’ Joe continued, drawing a small groan from the blonde.

“Who else?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“Selina,” he replied concisely, drawing a small sigh of relief from her.

“Anyone else get out?”

“No ma’am and to tell the truth none of the guards are surprised Selina is gone.  What surprised us was Crane’s disappearance.  His cell door was wide open, as if someone had let him out,” the elderly guard informed her, making another jolt of fear race through her veins.  What he told her made her extremely apprehensive.  While she couldn’t prove Joker had anything to do with it, it was a strange coincidence that two of her patients had escaped; leaving only him.  Without her attention being split between three patients, she would be thrown full time on his case.

“Thank you Joe.  I don’t think either will come here but if they do, I’ll be well protected,” she answered, thinking about the metal door for her room.

“Dr. Crane won’t hurt ya, it’s that other personality that worries me.  As for Selina, she always spoke of how well you treated her.  However, Mr. Mickleson is sending over one of the guards to watch your building,” the man assured, drawing a silent curse from the blonde.  The last thing she needed was some strange guy casing her apartment building, especially with Roger hanging around.

“Thanks Ol’ Joe.  Have a good night,” the nervous woman replied before hanging up the phone.  Then she was giving her door an apprehensive look.  All she could hope was that Dr. Crane wouldn’t feel the need to ‘pop in’.

Deciding she needed a bath and that she would feel better behind the safety of her hydraulic, metal door; Marie picked up a complaining Jasper as well as some movies and went into her room.  First she closed her recently replaced wooden door, then she hit the code that activated the metal door that would lock in place behind it.  As soon as she heard the telltale click of it coming into place, the blonde relaxed considerably.  Now nothing out there could possibly harm her unless they decided to set her apartment on fire.  With that cheery thought in mind, the weary female went to her bathroom to run a hot bath.  Right now all she wanted to do was soak away her worries.

Once the porcelain tub was full, she stuck in an arm to test the temperature.  It was hot, just barely bearable.  Pleased with this, Marie stripped off the pajamas she had changed into after her second trip to Arkham and slipped in.  A sigh of contentment left her lips as she submerged her pale but shapely body.  She didn’t have the body of a supermodel but she found herself happy with the body God or nature had graced her with.  She was on the plumper side but was nowhere near morbidly obese and her breasts weren’t huge but they certainly were large enough to fill a hand with.  Rolling her gray eyes at her musings, she poured some green apple scented soap onto a loofa and began to lather herself.

She had just finished rinsing out her hair when she heard a loud banging on the wooden outer door.  Shooting up into a sitting position, the now terrified woman strained her ears for any clues of who it was.  As twisted as it was, Marie sincerely hoped it was Jonathan Crane and not her violent boyfriend.  Her hopes were dashed when Roger’s angry voice screamed, “Why the Hell is there some fucking guy casing your apartment building!” through both doors.  Sighing, the female pulled herself from her warm paradise, wrapped herself in a towel and walked up to her door.

“Jonathan Crane escaped,” she hollered as loud as she could, hoping her admittedly weak voice carried through the thick steel and wood.  Only silence followed her explanation, making her heart plummet to the very bottom of her stomach.  If he didn’t believe her, there was no telling just what he would do.

“Shit, yeah I just found a newspaper site to confirm.  Is he here to protect you?” came an apologetic but still angry reply.

“Mr. Mickleson sent him.  I had no say in the matter,” the blonde replied, hoping desperately he would just let the matter drop.

“Do... do you want me to stay babe?” came a much more contrite, almost timid response.

“Roger, what do you think?” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as irritation and fear jockeyed for position within her.  A few moments of silence greeted her before a slow sigh came from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, yeah I wouldn’t want to see me either.  I’ll, uh, see you around Marie,” came the voice before footsteps led away from her door.

Shaking her head, the blonde went back into the bathroom to get dressed and comb her wet hair.  After she was done with that; she drained the tub, went back to her her room and put a movie in her DVD player.  As the beginning scenes of ‘The Crow’ began to play, Marie found herself oddly reminded of Joker; especially when Eric first put on the make-up.  Maybe it was the black lipstick smile he had given himself or maybe it was the burning violence that blazed in his brown eyes.  Pausing the movie at the point that he was standing at the window and looking out disdainfully over the city, the young Psychologist found her breath stopping in her throat.

Brandon Lee, who was playing Eric Draven, was the very mirror of the normal look in Joker’s eyes.  There was a deep hatred for the world in those Earthy orbs, a hatred that spoke of a terrible vengeance.  Yet vengeance didn’t seem quite right for the dangerous clown.  It seemed like he truly had no reason for causing the things he did.  There was even a report that he had promptly burned the money he had gotten from his first big bank heist.  He generally seemed interested in causing as much chaos as he possibly could.  The man was unlike anyone she encountered and he honestly frightened her.  Yet, under that fear, she felt oddly drawn to him.  While her first appointment with him had been rather explosive, she had found herself rather enjoying being around him.

Shaking off her strange thoughts, Marie summarily decided that was more than enough movies for one night.  She no doubt had a long day ahead of her due to the recent escapes and she would need whatever rest she could get.  Letting out a slow sigh, the blonde cuddled under the blankets and closed her eyes.  Soon she drifted into a troubled sleep; full of blood, screaming and begging.  Another nightmare about the night her first boyfriend died.


	7. All Work and No Play...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: First all day session with Joker, a bored Joker at that...

Instead of twenty-eight, Marie woke up feeling like she was 400.  Every part of her body seemed to be sore, especially the still slightly swollen left side of her face.  The eye was able to partially open now but the vision out of it was so blurred that she was better off keeping it closed.  Instead of just one day, it felt like she had lived through a hundred years yesterday; something that didn’t bode well for today.  Groaning in pain as her joints protested from the odd position she had fallen asleep in, the Psychologist pulled herself to her feet and shambled to the shower like a zombie.

Once she was finished with her morning ablutions, the blonde went to her dresser to dig out a suit for the day.  Unfortunately, with everything that had happened, she had entirely forgotten to do laundry.  This left her with only one suit and she pulled it out with a half amused, half exasperated look on her pale face.  “Of course it has to be this one, of fucking course.  Why did I even buy this in this first place,” Marie grumbled, although she knew the answer to that question very well.  Purple and green were her favorite colors, had been long before Joker had made himself a name in Gotham.  It was a rather unfortunate coincidence that he shared the same fondness for them.

As the blonde came into Arkham, she held up at hand at the receptionist’s amused grin.  “Just save it.  I bought this long before the guy ever came to the surface in Gotham,” the Psychologist hissed at the teen as she strode quickly into the office.  She ignored everyone’s stares and snickers as she went into her office.  They were probably already busy assuming she was the new Harleen Quinzel, something that made her teeth grind in irritation.  Cursing the fact that she had neglected to do her laundry, she went to her office and shut the door.  She would probably never hear the end of this as long as she lived.

As the morning wore on, Marie found herself falling into the routine of going to visit with Dr. Crane before she stopped herself.  Last night two of her patients had escaped, leaving her with only Joker.  Usually in a case like this, she would have been given two new patients to take the place of the ones she lost but all the patients currently in Arkham were perfectly fine on their treatment plans.  That only left two options for her.  Either she sit in her office like a useless lump or she takes three sessions with Joker until more patients are brought in or some need to be changed to a different doctor.

“Good morning doc,” came a familiar east coast accent, snapping her back to reality as she found herself in front of a very familiar cell door.  She had long made her decision before she even came to work today but she was still displeased that her body had come here while she was thinking about just what to do.  Having three sessions with Joker was an intimidating prospect for any person, let alone her.  Still she had a job to do, so she put her professional mask in place and gave the elderly guard a kind smile.

“I certainly hope yours is going better than mine,” she quipped before giving the purple suit jacket she wore a sour look.  She was already nervous enough about being in a cell with him, now she would be practically wearing his colors.  Heaven knew how he would react to her attire.  Yet, despite her fear, the blonde felt a shamed desire begin to coil in her lower belly.  Somewhere, deep down, one of his possible reaction turned her on fiercely.

In her mind’s eye; she saw him pressing her against the wall of his cell, his nose burrowed in the crook of her neck as he ran his tongue slowly up the pale column.  Shuddering slightly with lust and horror, Marie tried to shove the semi-disturbing thought to the back of her mind.  The fact that she’d had the image in her head at all was highly worrisome and she found herself seriously considering just turning around, going to Mr. Mickleson and begging on her knees for him to give this case to someone else.  Instead, she simply took a steadying breath and entered the cell.

The gray clad male was lounging on his thin mattress, his arms folded behind his head.  His hazel eyes stared up at the ceiling and he didn’t move a single muscle as the door slammed closed.  “Hey Doc.  Something happen?  You’re not usually here this, uh, early,” the former criminal purred, a slight hint of satisfaction under the neutral confusion in his voice.  Then he was sitting up and grinning at her, the playful look on his painted face fading for something downright predatory.

“Mmmm, did ya miss me or something,” he rumbled, his voice gaining a throaty edge that made her skin tingle pleasantly.

“Two of my patients escaped last night so I’m afraid we will be having three sessions a day now,” Marie replied in a steady voice despite her inner distress.  She was shocked and a bit horrified by her body’s reaction to the mass murderer and she was doing her level best to get rid of the unwanted pulsing between her legs.

Joker didn’t answer, only allowed his hazel eyes to move over her form as if he very much wanted to devour her alive.  “Would you know anything about their escapes?” Marie asked in a gently probing tone, making the reclining male jolt just slightly in surprise.

“What makes you think a thing like that?” he purred, getting to his feet slowly.  The look in his eyes both made fear and desire flare within her and the Psychologist found herself feeling just a bit off balance.  She both wanted to run from him and allow him to do whatever unspeakable thing he had planned.  Then he was slowly stalking toward her and it took everything within her to stand her ground.

“You have quite a reputation here.  Almost every time you’re in, patients seem to magically escape before you do,” she replied, her voice even and neutral despite the war being waged within her by her own feelings.

“Even if I did, uh, have a part in it, what makes ya think I’d tell you?  If it got found out I orchestrated an escape, I would get thrown into lockdown before you could say Jack Robinson,” the green haired man replied in a quiet voice, stopping mere inches from touching her body with his as he stared down at her with his dead eyes.  His warm breath hit her lips on every exhale as he almost seemed to examine her closely.  With him so close, Marie didn’t dare even breathe; let alone move her gray gaze from his intense stare.  Then his lipstick coated lips were meeting hers and her heart nearly burst from her chest.

_ ‘Oh fuck, oh fuck.  He’s fucking kissing me.  Fuck, fuck, fuck.  What do I fucking do here?  I can’t exactly kiss him back and if I shove him away, that could set him off big time!’ _ the blonde panicked inside her head as her entire body went ramrod stiff.  Yet, under her terror, some part of her was melting into the kiss and silently begging for more.  Stamping that small voice as well as her panic into submission, Marie tried to force herself to focus on what she should do.  Unfortunately all thought left her head as the criminal gave her lips a surprisingly gentle lick.  A surprised gasp left her and he took that opportunity to plunge straight in, his hands coming up to tangle roughly in her straw colored hair to keep her in place.

The Psychologist’s hands twitched by her side as fear and desire decided to duke it out within her once more.  For being a killer, Joker was being surprisingly careful with her; his tongue moving in a much slower way than she expected.  Some part of her longed to return the shockingly sweet embrace but the other part of her was screaming to pull away and run out of here.  Thankfully he broke away after a few more moments, a low growl leaving him as he slowly pulled away.  The rough utterance curled somewhere deep within her and pulsed throughout her body in a pleasurable wave that nearly made her gasp.  “Love the suit Doc,” he purred, a smirk on his scarred face as he backed up a few inches.

“Joker, that was highly inappropriate.  If it happens again, I’m afraid I’ll have to request a transference,” Marie scolded in a much too unsteady voice, making the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ smirk in a knowing manner.

“My apologies Doc, something just came over me when I saw you wearing  _ my _ colors,” he purred in a much too satisfied sounding voice.  The fact that he was staying so close to her was highly unnerving but she refused to give in to her urge to back away.  If she was ever to gain Joker’s trust, she would have to show him that she trusted him no matter what he was capable of doing to her.  Something that wasn’t true in the slightest in all honesty.

“Since we didn’t get too far yesterday, let’s start with a few simple questions about you,” the Psychologist suggested, doing her level best to keep a tight grip on her professional demeanor.  Joker shook his head disapprovingly at her suggestion, the scars on his cheeks making his grimace look more like a sneer.

“I’ll make ya a deal Doc; for every question you answer of mine, I’ll consider answering one of yours,” he offered in a quiet voice, his eyes staying locked on her.  

While that really didn’t seem fair, Marie knew she could control just how detailed her responses were.  If she was careful, she could prevent damage to herself and keep him from getting anymore inside her head than he already was.  “That sounds fair.  You get to go first then,” she replied, trying not to show just how uncomfortable she was with his continued closeness.

“Your name seems a fair place to start since you’re going to ask for mine,” Joker replied, his eyes moving slowly from her body to the still bruised left side of her face.

“Marie,” she sighed, not really expecting him to answer in kind.  The mercurial criminal didn’t disappoint her, merely smirking slightly.

“Marie, yes I like that.  Maybe I’ll tell you my name some day.  For now, how bout I tell ya a little something about me.  I had a pet Garter snake that I caught myself, named him Mr. Slither,” he offered, grinning slightly.  The scars on his face made the smile seem menacing and a pulse of excited fear shuddered through the female.

“He sounds adorable.  What were some of your favorite hobbies as a child?” the Psychologist asked, hoping to learn anything about him any way she could.  Even the most inane thing could help her but the same could also be said for him.  It was an odd game of chicken they were playing with eachother and it was hard to say who was going to dodge first.

“From a young age, my dad taught me how to make my own explosives.  Great guy my dad, until he got drunk,” the decorated man replied, his voice gaining a slightly steel edge near the end.

“I believe it is my turn once again.  Why are you still with your boyfriend when he does that to ya without a reason,” the green haired patient hissed, his voice growing even more angry as he gestured to her injuries.  His tongue flicked out rapidly to lick his scars as his hands flexed and relaxed reflexively.

“I... he...  He has made leaving rather... difficult,” Marie replied carefully, only relaxing when he nodded at her vague reply.

“I’ll accept that for now, at least until we get to know eachother a little better,” Joker sighed, sounding rather put upon as he continued to stand in place.

“Did you get along well with the other children?” she asked, deciding to stay in the fairly neutral ground of his childhood.  She tried not to think about what he was insinuating with his previous statement.

“Yeah, I was a likeable kid.  At least for a while,” he replied, slowly coming towards her once again; his hazel eyes intense.

“When’s your birthday Doc?” Joker whispered, reaching up to cup her cheek as a smirk curled his lips.  Marie could only stare at him as her body continued to betray her.  As soon as his fingers touched her skin it was like an electric jolt shot right to her core, making her long to rub her thighs together just to relieve some of the pressure building up inside her.

“October 31st,” she found herself answering before she could stop herself.  Was there really any harm in letting him know her birthday?  That was something she didn’t know and desperately didn’t want to find out.

Her answer caused an absolutely terrifying grin to curl Joker’s painted lips, the scars on his mouth making it look even more horrifying.  “Sounds like a date dollface!  Now, you get one more before I’m done for this session,” hissed the murderer as he pressed himself flush against her body.  The feel of him against her made her knees go weak and it took everything within her to maintain her professional demeanor.  Once she left, she was definitely going to go to Mr. Mickleson and beg to be taken off this case.  He made her feel more alive with his touch, something she hadn’t felt in years and the exact reason why she needed to get out now.  If she had much more time with him, she would probably end up as just another Harleen; used until she was no longer useful and tossed into Blackgate.  Then his words sank in and she nearly collapsed anyway.

“Joker, I need you to back up just a bit.  This sort of contact between a doctor and patient is highly inappropriate,” the Psychologist replied in a shockingly stern voice.  On the inside she was very nearly a pile of terrified but lustful jello.

“What if I don’t want to back up?  What are you going to do to make me?” the criminal purred in a roughened voice, his gray clad arms wrapping around her waist to hold her against him.

Feeling a thrill of fear rush through her, Marie tried to subtly swallow the terror singing through her veins as she placed her purple nailed hands on his chest.  At the sight of her nails, the grin on his face grew predatory.  “Ask your question Doc,” he breathed in a husky voice, his hands spreading out on her back.  The blonde could only stare up at him as she desperately restrained her urge to break out of his hold.  At this moment, she never regretted her treatment style more.  The position he had her in was extremely dangerous but allowing it to happen could possibly help her later if she wasn’t able to be removed.  This moment could show him that she trusted him and could possibly allow her to actually make progress in his treatment.  Then again, it could also show that he was getting to her.

“Do you have any siblings?” she asked in a steady voice despite the fact that her heart was beating hard in her chest.  Her question seemed to douse him quicker than any water and he took a few steps back.

“A younger sister,” he whispered, then he was turning his back on her to glare at the drawings on the concrete wall.  There were even more drawings than before, each one more violent and gory than the last.

“That’s enough for now Doc.  See ya at lunch,” the dangerous male continued quietly, not moving an inch as he seemed to contemplate his ‘art’.

Thankful to be getting out, Marie left as calmly as she could; shutting the heavy door behind her.  Once she was out, she ran a shaky hand through her dirty blonde locks and letting out a slow breath.  “I need to stop this,” she whispered, ignoring the worried look Joe gave her as she walked towards Mr. Mickleson's office.  If she had to get on her knees and beg, she would convince her boss to change her to a different patient.  What the man had implied about her birthday scared her half to death but some part of her felt oddly excited, making her feel even more frightened.

Dave was filling out some paperwork when she came storming into his office and slammed her open palms down on the wood of his desk.  Jolting from the sudden, loud noise, the scottish male looked up at the young woman with a mixture of shock and slight disapproval.  “Dr. Jovian...,” he began in a warning tone, only to be cut off by her holding up a hand for silence.  Closing his mouth, he looked up at her with his bottomless eyes and waited patiently.

“I need to be taken off Joker’s case,” she bit out, her voice slightly shaky and making him pay attention.

“What happened?” the dark haired man murmured, shoving his chair back to get to his feet.  Once again he stopped when the blonde held up her hand.

“I’d rather not get into that but needless to say I no longer feel comfortable being his doctor,” she responded, her gray eyes holding an unusually steely edge as she glared down at him.  Mr. Mickleson only met her gaze steadily before giving a small nod.

“Alright Dr. Jovian.  I’ll have you transferred to ‘Mad Hatter’ and have Dr. Trivain transferred to Joker,” he replied, smiling at her shocked look as he went back to filling out his papers.

Marie could only stare at him in shock, feeling like that went far too easy.  “Uh thanks,” she replied hesitantly before she left.  Then she walked back to her office, shutting her door and locking it behind her.  Leaning against the door, she closed her stormy eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself.  Opening her eyes again she threw herself in her rolling chair and placed both hands over her pale face.  She just had to get through two more sessions with him and she would be home free.  Just two more sessions and she wouldn’t have to worry about the effect Joker was having on her any longer.


	8. The Calm Before...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: In all honesty, I’m flattered you guys are enjoying this so much! I was so worried about getting Joker right but it certainly seems you people approve!

Looking up at the clock as she ate her sandwich, Marie could swear time was speeding up on her.  Granted, she  _ had _ been eating her lunch slowly in a futile effort to delay her next meeting with Joker but it still seemed as if the end of her lunch hour was sneaking up on her.  If she was honest with herself, the thought of another Q & A excited her just as much as it terrified her.  A fact that severely bothered the Psychologist.  Sure, she had enjoyed spending time with Selina and Dr. Crane but neither of them had a vested interest in getting into her head.  Neither of them were looking to use her until she had nothing left to give.

Thoughts of Harleen souring her stomach, the blonde set the rest of her food down on a napkin on her desk and got to her feet.  As much as she didn’t relish getting in even deeper, Marie knew it wouldn’t do to be late.  If she ever had to work with the criminal again, it would behoove her to try to keep good relations with him.  Sighing, she took a deep breath before leaving her office and heading to Joker’s cell for their second appointment of the day.  Her only solace was that it was bound to be better than the final meeting of the day.

“Hey Doc, long time no see,” Joker purred from his position on his bed as she walked into his cell.  The jumpsuit clad male was laid on his back, his hands clasped behind his head.  A slight smirk curled his scarred mouth as his hazel eyes locked on her purple clad form.  He must have been allowed his make-up again because even more stick figures covered his walls, each one more horribly mutilated than the last.

“Oh yes, my world simply stops until I can see you again.  All the colors simply turn gray until I see your face once more,” Marie found herself replying sarcastically, immediately angry with herself.  Joker only laughed as he sat up, his eyes roving over her once again.

“I’m flattered that you feel so strongly about me.  Do you sweet talk all of your patients like this?” the clown asked as he slowly got to his feet and stretched languidly.

“Shall we pick up where we left off?” the Psychologist asked, hoping to dodge the question.  The grin that stretched his red lips told her otherwise, the scars on the corners of his lips making his expression look even more devious.

“If you want.  I do believe it is my turn,” purred the psychopath as he prowled toward her, quickly closing the distance between them.

“Does your pulse speed up when you see me like mine does?” he continued, reaching out to touch the bruised left side of her face with gentle fingertips.

“I didn’t know seeing yourself did that to you.  Do you think you have narcissism?” the blonde snarked, inwardly kicking herself as the words left her mouth.  She was supposed to cooly blow off the question, not sarcastically misconstrue the meaning.  The former murderer only giggled slightly before giving her an impatient look, lightly smacking her injury a few times and making her wince.

“That’s not, uh, what I meant and you damn well know it,” hissed the dangerous male, his tongue flicking out to lick his jagged scars as he locked his eyes on hers.

“I....,” she began, ready to brush him off with her veil of professionalism when she was stopped by a hand lightly placed over her mouth.

“ _ Don’t _ deflect me Marie.  If you answer this question, I will answer any personal question you ask,” Joker snarled, his hand pressing down on her mouth almost painfully before he slowly lifted it.

“Y-yes,” she whispered in a quiet voice, her heart racing in her chest from both fear and his nearness.  As soon as the word left her mouth, his lips were crashing down on hers in a possessive but surprisingly gentle kiss.

“Mmm, I thought so,” he husked, his slightly minty breath hitting her mouth as he pulled back to rest his white forehead against hers.

Trying to catch her breath, Marie panted as she pressed a hand against her thudding heart.  There was a noticeable heat running through her veins, a heat that was collecting in the pit of her stomach.  Doing her best to deny the insistent throbbing in her core, the blonde took a steadying breath to regain her composure.  “Wh-when is your birthday?” she asked lamely, a bit surprised at herself for squandering her chance.  She could have asked him for his real name or how he got his scars.  Yet, it somehow didn’t feel right to get the information that way.  Even Joker seemed a bit shocked by her question.  Then he was chuckling as he pulled back just slightly to look her in the eyes.

“I won’t count that one but I’m a bit surprised Doc.  I fully expected ya to force my name outta me.  Anyway, my birthday is April 1st.  Kinda ironic, isn’t it?” the taller man asked before giving one of his horrifying, empty laughs, the sound sending an instinctual shiver up her spine.

Marie could only nod, honestly wondering if that really was his birthday.  It seemed a bit too convenient, given his moniker and persona, and yet he really had no reason to lie to her about something so simple.  “So, why’d ya start, uh, working at Arkham?” the killer asked, both of arms wrapping loosely around her thin waist to hold her close.  This question gave her pause and she honestly wondered just how much was safe to tell this man.  What could he use against her later?

“I... I guess it started when... when I was really young.  Something... happened and I... I became fascinated by how the criminal mind worked.  I thought that maybe, if I could help some of Gotham’s most infamous criminals that I might make a difference in the ridiculous murder rates,” the blonde replied haltingly, being very careful not to give the man holding her too much that he could use later.  With what she already said, she had a suspicion he had more than enough.

To her relief, instead of pressing for more details, he merely nodded before giving her an expectant look.  “You know Doc, I’m starting to think getting myself stuck in solitary was the best thing that happened to me,” the killer purred as he brushed his fingertips against her injury once again.  These whispered, gruff words caused her heart to lurch in her chest and liquid fire to flood her nethers.  Licking her dry lips as she panted slightly, the flustered female desperately tried to regain control over her traitorous body.  There was no way in Hell she was attracted to this mad man; this person who had killed hundreds, if not thousands.  All this burning lust simply had to stem from a lack of intimacy with Roger.  She and him hadn’t been intimate in years and she often felt very little sex drive after an encounter with him.

“Do you enjoy reading?” the young woman asked, hoping to dispel the building sexual tension.

“I love comic books.  My favorite superhero is Purpleman,” the painted male joked, obviously making light of the fact that there were currently all kinds of comics being made about him and the Batman.

“I like to read Stephen King for the most part but I really read a bit of everything,” Marie replied, not the least bit phased by his sarcastic answer.  Joker only looked in her eyes for a few minutes before getting a vaguely apologetic looked on his decorated face.

“Hmmm I could tell that the moment you opened your mouth.  To be honest, I enjoy Dickens and a bit of Poe.  I don’t mind reading other things but give me ‘Cask of Amontillado’ any day,” he replied, the expression from earlier disappearing so quickly Marie could have sworn she had imagined it.

“Is that your favorite Poe story?” the blonde asked, a bit of excitement slipping into her voice despite herself.  One of the first authors she had come across had been the deeply disturbed Poe.  Unfortunately she had quickly found that a very small number of people actually shared her appreciation for the quirky author.  It wasn’t long before she languished for anyone that shared her love of his writings, someone to discuss them with her.

“Ah ta ta ta ta, naughty, naughty Doc!  It’s my turn to ask you a question now,” Joker scolded semi-playfully, a deadly seriousness in his greenish eyes.  Then he was drumming his fingers on his chin in an overly dramatic thoughtful look.

“What are  _ your _ hobbies?” he purred, seeming to have no issue at all with the continued lack of space between them.  In fact he was so close she could vaguely feel the movement of his ruby lips against hers, a fact that greatly disconcerted the suit clad female.

“M-my hobbies?  I haven’t thought about them in years.  I used the draw a lot, used to enjoy anime and music.  I enjoy watching a variety of movies as well as reading but I haven’t really had time to pursue any of them,” she replied, being careful not to go into too much detail once again.  Joker could easily use something as small as her favorite books against her, using them as a jumping point for discussion.  Once she started openly conversing with him, it would only be a matter of time before she dropped her guard.

“Anime huh?  Didn’t think you’d be the type,” the murderer teased, reaching up to play with a dark yellow lock of her hair.  Marie’s hand rose of its own accord and removed her hair from his loose grip, surprising her greatly.  Right now her heart was beating too hard to breathe, let alone allow her to move.

Instead of being angry like she secretly feared, the clown only smirked at her.  “To answer your earlier question, it’s one of a long list.  You still need to ask your personal question from earlier.  Tell you what, I’ll, uh, make you the same deal as this morning.  I will answer your question if you answer one of mine,” he offered, both his arms wrapping around her waist loosely and his hands resting on the small of her back.

“I...,” the Psychologist began, unsure if she really wanted to risk what he could ask.

“Come on Doc, isn’t this about building trust?” Joker chuckled, making rage surge hotly inside her.

“Yes but I refuse to let this become an opportunity for you to gain information on me.  I think I have had more than enough of this Joker.  You continue to disregard any personal space and seem to have a preoccupation with inappropriate contact.  Unless you can promise to be more behaved, I will have to cancel our evening appointment,” Marie bit out, letting her doctor’s training take over fully as she shoved all her unwanted feelings into a lockbox that laid in a dark corner of her mind.

Then she was turning around and stalking to the door, rage, fear and a hint of her lust from earlier whirling within her.  Just as her purple nailed hand came to rest on the metal knob, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder; the former criminal behind her spinning her around to face him.  A mixture of amusement and irritation was on his make-up coated face as his hazel eyes looked into her gray ones assessingly.  Then he was shaking his head as he let out a loud bark of his cold, empty laughter.  “I’m not going to force you to answer,” he assured, making her raise a blonde brow incredulously.

“You sure as Hell coulda fooled me earlier,” she returned, her irritation breaking through her professional facade.  The male before her went from playful to angry in an instant, making fear spike through her heart.

With a speed that was terrifying, the dangerous male was on her; one of his hands coming up to wrap around her throat.  Yet, to her surprise, the grip stayed loose; as if it was a mere warning.  “Most would consider the information I forced from you earlier harmless,” he hissed, his mid-tone voice holding a dangerous, raspy edge.

“No information is harmless with someone like you,” she replied before she could stop herself, more fear flooding her system as his hand tightened slightly.

“Ask yer damn question,” Joker snarled, his nails scratching lightly at her pale skin as he glowered down at her.

“Were your parents together?” Marie asked, not daring to hesitate out of fear of what he would do.  Absolute silence followed her inquiry, making her feel extremely anxious that she had asked the wrong thing.

“At first...,” he answered curtly before reaching behind her, opening the heavy metal door and shoving her out of his cell.

Marie could only stare at the door, the wheels already turning in her head.  From the information she had received, she could already make some assumptions.  Yet, as afraid of Joker as she was, the Psychologist couldn’t bring herself to abuse his trust like that.  While he would gladly do the same to her, that didn’t mean she had to bring herself to his level.  Sighing in frustration and stress, the blonde merely went back to her office.  From the looks of things, the criminal was already ramping up his efforts at prying open her carefully placed guards.  She was honestly thankful that she only had one more session with him, a session that would end with her informing him that she was leaving.  Something she was sure would go over like a lead balloon.

Once she entered her office, she saw the remains of her sandwich and her stomach lurched sickly.  Clasping a hand over her mouth, Dr. Jovian carefully took the leftovers and tossed it into the trash can across the room.  Once it was gone, she noticed something small sitting on her chair.  Time seemed to freeze and the world seemed to go gray as her body slowly moved toward the piece of furniture.  As she got closer, she saw it was a small scarecrow doll with an absolutely horrifying face sewn onto it.  Just seeing the thing sent a chill of terror down her spine and she picked up in a ginger grip.

The lightly stuffed object only flopped in her grip, something white sticking out of the hand-sewn jacket it wore.  Picking out the note with careful fingertips, Marie gingerly placed the doll on her desk as she sat in her chair to read it.  ‘My dearest Dr. Jovian, I saw a man leave your building the other night and couldn’t help but wonder if it was your dear ‘boyfriend’.  If I see any new injuries on you, that man’s days will be numbered. - J. Crane.’  Just reading that only made her fright worse.  She knew full well what would happen if Crane decided Roger had outlived his welcome and she felt a sick terror bloom in her stomach.  She could only hope that Joker had some sort of connection with the former Psychiatrist and that he would be willing to stop any violence that was bound to happen.

Once again she found time moving in a way that bothered her but this time it was moving far too slowly.  She didn’t like her chances of convincing Joker to help, especially when she told him she was leaving his case.  There was also the problem of Crane simply ignoring the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ and killing Roger anyway.  After all, his alter ego was highly unpredictable and not easily controlled.  Taking a steadying breath, the blonde glared at the clock as it continued to crawl towards the time of her final appointment.  Her final appointment... just thinking about it both filled her relief and deep dread.

Her entrance into his cell was much more quiet than her previous ones, the green haired male sitting on the edge of his bed and glowering down at his clasped hands.  “What happened to you?” he asked in a gruff, dangerous sounding voice, not raising his head to look at her as she stood in front of him.  At first she was confused about what he meant but then realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she swayed in place.  It was something she didn’t remember well and everytime she tried she began to enter into a helpless panic.

“I... I...,” she stammered, her hands shaking as the small teen she had been at the time slowly starting to slip forward.

“Afraid to answer that one?  Okay, tell me about  _ your _ parents then,” hissed the furious criminal, his clasped hands beginning to shake between his thighs.  His tongue flicked out to lick at his scars rapidly, drawing her gaze to the quick movement.

“M-my parents?  They were together until...,” she whispered, halting when she got dangerously close to revealing some very personal information about herself.

“Hmmm, I suppose that’s about the same information I shared with you...,” he sighed, his posture unwinding slightly as he looked up to lock his eyes with hers.

“I gotta say, I wanna know more about the woman under the professional mask.  From what I’ve seen, I have to say I like her a lot,” the killer continued, his gaze growing more predatory as he slowly got to his feet.  Then he was closing the already small distance between them, his eyes moving to her injury once again.

“Joker...,” the Psychologist began in a try at a stern voice.  Instead of sounding stern, however, her voice just sounded weak and breathy.  To her horror, he only smirked at her in a rather possessive manner.

“As much as I like a fighter, this chase is beginning to get tiresome.  The more time I spend with ya, the more, uh, I want ta actually learn about ya.  I don’t feel that way about a lotta people.  Ya should, uh, feel honored,” the painted male rumbled, impatience tinging his slightly nasally voice as he gripped her chin and took her lips in a breathtaking kiss.

Despite the pulsing, aching need this started deep within her core, the suit wearing female tried to shove herself away from the much stronger male; breaking the kiss despite the deep want to continue.  His lips were surprisingly soft and held a shocking gentleness that was a sharp contrast to his reputation.   A fact that both confused her and set her on her guard.  With Joker, it was hard to tell if he was being genuine or if it was a play to get closer to her.  Besides, she had no business getting involved with someone as unstable as the villain in the first place.

Unfortunately, Joker was not pleased by her pulling away from him.  “Don’t fucking pretend you don’t like this.  I can smell it all over you,” the irritated man snarled, taking a deep inhale of her scent as if to prove his point.  Then his arms were wrapping around her tightly as his dead, angry orbs locked with hers.

“I want you Marie.  I wanted you from the moment your scent met my nose.  The moment I tasted you, I knew you were  _ mine _ .  I probably don’t, uh, have to tell ya that when I want something I fuckin’  _ take _ it.  Give us  _ both _ what we want,” the clown rasped before giving her lips a hard nibble.

In an instant, she was shoving away from him and pressing her back to the door.  Her large breasts shook as her chest heaved from her panting.  “No, no I refuse to let you make me into what image you see fit!  I refuse to become like Harleen!  Joker, I had hoped to get through the session before telling you this but you leave me little choice,” gasped out the frightened female, flinching as he began to stalk toward her once more.

“Harleen was a weak minded little fool.  She ate everything I fed her and more.  She didn’t last her first day with me,” the gray clad man whispered, his voice holding an odd edge as his once again met her eyes.

“Joker, I’ve had myself taken from your case,” the blonde announced, her hand on the knob of the door as she prepared for the explosion.  To her shock, the colorful killer froze in place; his head tilting to the side as he seemed to absorb her statement.

“You can’t fucking leave,” he whispered in an oddly soft, quiet voice, barely audible.

“I’m sorry but I cannot allow this to continue.  This has become less like a doctor / patient relationship and more like a twisted courtship.  As a doctor, I cannot allow you to become so attached to me or vice versa,” she replied, slipping into her professional persona to mask the terror she was currently feeling.  She had been expecting a nuclear explosion, not this quiet stillness.

“You  _ can’t _ fucking  _ leave _ ,” Joker repeated, in a much louder, raspy voice, fury beginning to burn in his green orbs.  It was then that her heart sank to the pit of her stomach and she began to fumble with her only portal to safety.  In seconds he was on her, tearing her away from the door to press her against a wall; his hand resuming its place around her neck.

“Not when we’re so fuckin’ close, not when things were just starting to go somewhere!  No!  You can’t  _ fucking leave me! _ ” he screamed, bringing the guard standing outside charging in.  Fighting like a wild animal, the painted male clawed, kicked and bit at the guard as he was pinned against the cold stone wall.

Giving the pinned, snarling criminal a frightened glance, the blonde ran out of the cell.  The guard soon joined her, shutting the door quickly behind himself.  “Marie, ya won’t fucking get away.  Ya may think you’re safe but I wouldn’t, uh, sleep too soundly tonight,” came a bitter snarl that was muffled by the steel.  Giving the door a fearful look, the twenty-eight year old simply fled to clock out and get to her car.  As she drove home, Joker’s words came back to haunt her and she honestly found herself afraid of what awaited her at her apartment.


	9. Bedlam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Joker falling for you can be a dangerous prospect. *nod nod*

    Despite Joker’s overt threats, no Dr. Crane awaited her in the apartment.  No henchmen hid in her room.  The only thing that seemed off was the guy that Mr. Mickleson had assigned to her was nowhere to be seen.  Deciding to be safe, she grabbed her cat and a few movies before ensconcing herself in the safety of her room.  The metal door gave her a huge feeling of security and she found herself honestly thankful to Roger for once.  Without him, it was doubtful she would have gone to such lengths for security.  Giving her irritated pet a scritch behind the ears, Marie simply popped in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and snuggled in for a long night of movie watching.

    The shrill ring of her phone jolted her out of a deep sleep, nearly giving her a heart attack.  Placing a hand over her racing heart and forcing herself to take a few deep breaths, the blonde reached out to grab the receiver and bring it to her head.  “Hello?” she asked in a groggy voice.

    “Doc, Joker got out of his cell and is causing absolute havoc here!  He’s threatening to let patients loose if you aren’t here within ten minutes,” came a familiar, New England accented voice that was just starting to edge into panic.  Those words were enough to snap her to full consciousness and she was throwing on whatever clothes she could find.

    “Even if I speed, it’ll be a miracle if I get there in time,” she moaned into the phone before she hung up, input the code for her door and flew out of her apartment.  All she could hope for was that the traffic was unusually light.  Sometimes Gotham was worse than the worst New York gridlock and if she got caught in a traffic jam, it could spell the deaths of a lot of the guards in Arkham.

    As soon as she got there, she ran past the empty reception desk and into the building.  There, she was greeted with absolute anarchy.  All the guards had taken the tables from the cafeteria to barricade themselves behind and the entire office area was filled with smoke and a very faint glow from small fires.  Ol’ Joe motioned to her frantically from behind his table and the young woman ran over to him, crouching beside the old guard as she peeked over the top of the piece of furniture.  “What the Hell happened?” the Psychologist hissed as a small explosion went off in the direction of her office.

    “The bastard made an explosive from some toothpaste he stole during community hygiene time,” the elderly male replied as an inhuman cry of rage came from the same area as the explosion.

    “I don’t even want to know how he managed that.  That’s certainly a new one for me.  I’m so sorry Ol’ Joe.  This is all my fault,” the t-shirt wearing female sighed before motioning to the other guards that she was going to move in front of the makeshift barricade.

    Thankfully they nodded and showed their beanbag guns.  At most, the guards were allowed non-lethal weapons.  If the patient got to the point that those means weren’t working, they had a button that would summon a S.W.A.T. team to take them down.  Honestly hoping it wouldn’t come to that, Marie snuck around to the front of the manmade wall and crept forward while remaining in a crouch.  She wore black sweatpants and a black t-shirt, making it easy for her to blend into shadows as well as move.  “Joker!” she tried to call out into the smoky darkness, her voice only coming out as a frightened squeak.  Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, the terrified female tried again; this time succeeding in making her voice echo through the empty halls.

    Silence followed, an eerie silence that made her skin tingle.  Then a quiet, crazed giggle came from where her office was near the end of the hall.  A giggle that quickly grew into a howl of hyena-like laughter, a sound that was steadily getting closer and closer to where she was.  “Bon Jovi!  You made it just in time!  To be honest, I’m, uh, a bit disappointed that you’re so punctual,” came a nasally rumble as a lithe silhouette stepped into the large lobby.  The dim light from the small fires allowed her to see that he had found his old clothes and the flickering, dancing light gave his painted face a surreal, terrifying look.

    Marie watched the criminal with a mixture of fear and determination before straightening and giving him her sternest look.  “Dr. Jovian, remember?  This is highly inappropriate behavior,” she scolded, slipping into her professional mask easily.  Yet, under it, her heart raced wildly in her chest and she wanted nothing more than to dive back behind the line of tables.  Within seconds the distance between them was gone and he had her in his arms with her spun towards the guards as a pseudo shield.

    “Thanks for bringin’ her to me boys!  I can, uh, take it from here,” the tux wearing male rumbled, slowly moving back toward the cells with her still in his strong arms.  A bit surprised he wasn’t using her to escape, the blonde only looked up at the clown as he slowly moved them into the Level 5 ward.

    Smirking down at her, Joker kept staring over the back of her head with an amused look in his dead but vibrant eyes.  A bit curious about what he was looking at, Marie turned her head to see the guards following them at an extreme distance.  “Ah ta ta ta ta, eyes up here doll,” came a playfully scolding voice as a leather covered finger pressed under her chin and coaxed her into facing the man holding her once more.  Her stormy eyes locked with his hazel ones as he continued to walk them to his cell.  Soon they got to the closed door and the murderer was faced with a choice.

    “I have ta let ya go ta, uh, open the door.  Will you be a good girl and not try to escape,” he purred, rubbing his nose along hers while the finger under her chin almost lazily caressed her skin.  Marie could only stare at him dumbfounded.  If he released her, it would be the perfect time to make a run for the guards that were no doubt closing the distance.

    Blinking, the Psychologist gave the criminal a questioning look.  A look that clearly said _‘Are you insane?’_.  Joker only released another howl of his signature laughter, the hand under her chin moving to pat her still tender left cheek.  “Yes or no Doc.  I ain’t got all night,” the painted man chuckled, the scars on his mouth making his grin look frightening.  Taking a deep breath, Marie gave a slow, deliberate nod.  As strange as it sounded, this would be the perfect time to strengthen the trust between them.  After this debacle, she would probably be forced back onto his case after his required stint in lockdown.  Having something like this under her belt could very well make dealing with him easier.

    Joker only locked his eyes with hers, all humor fading from his painted face for a dead seriousness.  Then he was very slowly letting go of her, his entire body tense and ready for any attempt at escape.  Instead of even trying, the blonde met his gaze steadily; her heart racing in her chest when he gave her a smirk of approval.  Then he was reaching behind himself, opening the cell door with a loud creak and gesturing for her to enter like some sort of twisted butler.  “After you m’lady,” he crooned in a smooth voice, bowing slightly as his hazel orbs nearly burned into her.  Swallowing her fear and mustering her stores of courage, Marie gave him a small smile before entering the small, very dark cell.

    The door slammed shut behind her like a coffin lid, very nearly making her jump.  It was only the sheer strength of her professional mask that kept her outwardly calm and collected.  “Was all this really necessary?” her voice asked in a surprisingly tired and exasperated tone.  On the inside, her heart thundered in her ears and it was a blue miracle that her legs weren’t shaking.  She was absolutely terrified!  Reasons for why he had done all this to get her here sped through her head in a blur, only increasing her fear.

    “It might have been a bit, uh, overkill but I never do anything small,” came an amused purr beside her ear as the lights in the room came on.  The stark difference in light stunned her for a moment and forced her eyes to shut out of self defence.  Pain speared into her brain like a hot poker, drawing a slight hiss of pain from her lips.

    “Ah, sorry ‘bout that.  I shoulda warned ya first,” he chuckled from in front of her, not sounding the least bit contrite.

    “Just what is all this about?” Marie asked, temporarily blinded and unable to open her eyes due to the pain.  Right now she was the one that had to trust _him_ , a truly terrifying prospect.  The man could summarily decide to snap her neck just for the fun of it and she would never see it coming.

    “I didn’t get to bid you a proper farewell,” came a rumble that made want pulse through her core in a thick wave.

    In moments, her eyes flew open at the same time his lips met hers in a harsh, very hungry kiss.  His tongue forced its way into her stunned mouth while one hand came up to cradle the back of her head.  Her own hands came up to lace behind his head as she began to respond to the kiss despite herself.  All her misgivings and careful walls crumbled away as his tongue possessively moved over hers while he backed her slowly towards a wall.  When her back met the cold concrete, the Psychologist broke the kiss with a surprised gasp; a bit of her fear coming back.

    That was when his words sank in and she found herself searching his cell for any holes.  To her shock, not one bit had been touched by his homemade explosive.  This was clearly not an attempt to escape, he could have done so at many points tonight.  That left the question of why he had gone to such lengths.  Had it been to just get her in his arms again?  If that was truly the case, all he would have needed to do was orchestrate a hunger strike; not make bombs out of toothpaste.  “All of that was so you could say goodbye?” she asked, raising a brow in disbelief.

    Joker only smiled like the Chesire Cat, leaning into her as he pressed his palms against the wall beside her head.  “Like I said, I never do anything small,” rasped the much taller male, the scars on his mouth giving him an eerie look as his tongue snaked out slowly to lick his ruby lips.

    “All you succeeded in doing was cause a lot of damage and get yourself a stint in lockdown.  You can’t honestly tell me you brought that upon yourself and stole your old clothes just to say goodbye?” Marie asked, flabbergasted at the nonchalant shrug he gave her.

    “What can I say?  I’m a bit of a romantic at heart,” he sighed in a put upon voice, giving her a playfully weary glance before he pressed himself even closer to her.  Heat radiated off his lean body and his chest brushed against hers every inhale.  That was when his words sank in and she found herself staring up at the criminal.

    Was he saying he had done all of this as some sort of show for _her_?  The idea made her skin crawl; yet, buried under that, there was the faintest thread of desire.  If she took a close look at herself and was honest, she found the whole situation oddly flattering.  A fact that made her feel sick to her stomach.  Before she had met the Joker, she had no idea she held such a dark side inside herself.  Something buried within her almost seemed to revel in his violence and insanity, almost seemed to crave it.  Shaking herself of the thought, Marie fisted her hands in the lapels of his purple jacket to push him away but found herself kissing him fiercely instead.

    The green haired clown seemed a bit thrown off balance at first but quickly recovered, pressing himself against her as he growled against her lips.  His purple gloved hands roamed everywhere as his teeth nipped harshly at her soft lips.  To both their shock, Marie gave as good as she got; her hands fisting in his hair as her teeth scraped along his.  Then the ‘Clown Prince’ was breaking the kiss with a low growl, chuckling gruffly as his erection pulsed against her lower stomach.  Just feeling that was enough to bring the blonde back to reality like a cold shower and she sucked in her breath as her entire body went stiff.

    Noticing her change in demeanor, the killer smirked at her as he pressed his clothed manhood against her.  “Well, goodbye Joker,” the dirty blonde gasped out, ducking under one of his arms and putting some much needed distance between them.  Her heart thudded and clenched in her chest while her core throbbed pleasurably.  For a moment she had been very close to reaching between them, undoing his zipper and...  Shaking off the thought, the Psychologist tried to catch her breath while her former patient straightened.

    “Marie...,” he began in a much deeper voice, running a shaky, gloved hand through his dyed locks.

    “Stop,” she gasped out in what was supposed to be a demand but only ended up sounding like a plea.  Joker only narrowed his eyes, the black around them only making them look more intimidating.

    “Marie, did ya think I got dressed up like this for my health?” he sighed in an exasperated voice, throwing her completely off balance.  What on Earth could he have meant by that?

    Before she could even voice her confusion, he was closing the distance between them once more; nearly pressing himself against her as he glared down at her.  “Do I really have ta spoon feed ya here?  I gotta say I’m disappointed,” he sighed as he leaned down to nuzzle at her neck.  Not daring to move, Marie did her best to figure out what the hell he was talking about.  Why would he have bothered to get his tux if he wasn’t going to escape, let alone the flashy and unnecessary explosions?  Was it a twisted version of a date?  Knowing the criminal in front of her, it could very well be the case.

    “Was this your idea of a date?” she asked, daring to voice her suspicion as his arms slowly came up to loosely wrap around her.  A quick bark of his chilling laughter was her answer before he was taking her lips in yet another hungry kiss that nearly made her toes curl.  He kissed her like a man starved, his tongue thoroughly claiming every inch of her mouth.

    As suddenly as it started, it was ended as he pushed himself away from her.  His green clad chest heaved as he straightened his purple jacket and jerked his head to one side with a loud crack.  In seconds, all his earlier lust was replaced with a surprising coolness as he smirked at her.  “Call it a first date.  Can’t wait till ya see what I have in mind for our second one,” he replied, his voice a rumbling rasp as he prowled to the door and opened it for her.

    “Go on home Doc.  I feel so much better after we’ve had this ‘talk’,” Joker purred, the scars on the corners of his mouth turning his smirk into a horrifying grin.  Taking that as her cue to leave, Marie fled the cell; doing her best to ignore the peels of laughter that followed her as she was ushered away by the guards.

    Hours later and she was finally back home.  The guards had questioned her extensively then had her examined by paramedics.  After endless amounts of paperwork, questions and tests; she had eventually been deemed well enough to go home.  At first she had been relieved but as soon as she entered her apartment, she knew something was wrong.  Instantly on the alert, the weary blonde began to look around for any signs of an intruder.  A cursory examination of her living room revealed nothing, leaving her bedroom and bathroom.

    A loud meow by her feet nearly made her jump out of her skin and she looked down to see her fat cat looking up at her expectantly.  Only slightly encouraged by the sight of her pet alive and well, Marie slowly turned her gaze to her kitchen; gasping when she saw a covered plate on the counter.  Approaching the object like a poisonous snake, the nervous female cautiously lifted the cover to reveal a steak and mashed potatoes.  Blinking at the still steaming food, she never noticed the man creeping up behind her.  “Taking yourself off his case was either a stroke of genius or the most idiotic thing you’ve ever done,” came an amused, all too familiar voice, sending a chill of fear down her spine.

    Spinning around, she saw just who she feared most; Jonathan Crane.  Giving her a small smile, the gaunt male motioned to the food behind her.  “Go ahead and eat.  From what I’ve seen, it’ll be the most substantial thing you’ve eaten in days,” he urged, tossing his mask onto the table like it belonged there.  Blinking at the surrealness of the situation but deciding he didn’t want to harm her, the frazzled woman gathered the plate and some silverware before sitting at her table.  As soon as he sat down, her former patient sat across from her; watching her raptly as she began to eat.

    At first she ate cautiously, as if expecting poison of some sort.  After a few bites it became clear that his plan hadn’t been to kill her and she began to eat in earnest.  Thankfully the murderer didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her hesitation, only smiling at her as she quickly cleaned her plate.  “You haven’t been taking care of yourself.  Has Joker been running you that ragged?” sighed a concerned baritone, startling her badly mid-chew and nearly making her choke.  Coughing, she looked up at Jonathan with an honestly shocked look.  Of all the things she had been expecting when he showed up, this certainly wasn’t it.

    “It’s not _just_ him,” she admitted in a quiet voice, jolting slightly when Jasper reminded her that she had yet to feed him.  Giving her unpredictable guest an apologetic smile, the young woman got to her feet and got her pet his food.  Once that was finished, she found something pressed against her nose and mouth that smelled strongly of chloroform.

    “Sorry sweetheart, you need to sleep and I can’t have you calling Arkham while I’m not paying attention,” came a shockingly sincere apology as she slipped into darkness.


	10. Personal Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Thank you all for you kind words! They mean a lot to me! I tend to not have much confidence in myself so hearing that I’m doing things right really puts a smile on my face! Please continue to enjoy this odd journey!

    A pounding headache was _not_ a good way to start her day.  In fact, she couldn’t even remember falling asleep the other night.  Groaning, Marie slowly sat up; smacking her lips as she felt the dry, sticky texture of her mouth.  Taking in a deep breath to stretch, she nearly vomited from a very strong, very familiar chemical smell.  It was then that memories of yesterday came back in a flood as her head whipped around, causing a nauseating throbbing from inside her skull.  Doing her best to ignore the spinning, tilting and pain caused from the hangover caused by the chloroform, the blonde immediately looked around her room.  Her heart nearly stopped in her chest from what she saw.

    At first her gray eyes had merely skimmed over him but, as soon as it clicked in her mind what she had just seen, they moved back and locked on.  There, leaning his back against  the wall by the bathroom door and in a deep sleep, was Jonathan Crane.  Panic filled her in seconds and her first instinct was to reach for her phone; only to find the object missing from her nightstand.  Fear beginning to rise inside her, she looked around for either of her phones; her gaze eventually traveling back to Crane and seeing he had them in his lap.  It was then that she actually started to think, causing some of her terror to recede ever so slightly.

    Although the man was dangerous and had knocked her out, he hadn’t laid a single hand on her while she had been out.  In fact, he hadn’t even taken the opportunity to kidnap her when it would have been very easy.  There was also the fact that his alter ego had more than likely shown up during the night and she was still whole as well as sane.  To be honest, all of this had her feeling just a bit stunned.  If she had been any other person or if her relationship with Dr. Crane wasn’t so good, she could have probably ended up injected with fear gas; just another of  ‘Scarecrow’s’ test subjects.

    Shaking off the unpleasant thought, Marie found herself at a loss as to what to do.  She couldn’t get her phones without waking up Jonathan and if she did manage to get ahold of Arkham, the former psychiatrist would know she had done it.  Doing something like that could make her a very quick, very vitriolic enemy.  From all her time working with Crane, she learned he didn’t give his trust or care easily.  If she betrayed him after making him trust her enough not to tie her up while he slept, there was no telling the explosion she would inadvertently set off.  Sighing, the nervous, confused female ran a shaking, purple nailed hand through her dirty blonde hair.  What ended up making a decision for her was Jasper.

    The overweight, often aloof and timid feline stretched, yawned and hopped off her bed.  He trotted over to Jonathan, rubbing his dual colored face against the murderer’s bare forearm.  Then the cat was crawling into his lap, nestling in and going back to sleep.  The unconscious killer only shifted slightly, placing a bony hand on Jasper’s black furred back and beginning to rub.  Just seeing that melted her heart and she made up her mind that she simply couldn’t turn Crane in, not unless he became dangerous to her.  In all honesty, that would probably be the only circumstance the former doctor would accept.  Still, having him as a ‘roommate’ was going to be... interesting.

    Getting slowly out of her bed, the Psychologist gathered a blanket and a pillow before cautiously heading toward the sleeping criminal.  As she draped the blanket over him and placed the pillow behind his head, she could help but muse to herself.  If he woke up now, there was a distinct possibility that he would think she was trying to get her phones.  Despite the trust they had built, he was still bound to be overly paranoid in this situation.  Just as she placed the pillow between his head and the wall, the corded phone began to ring shrilly; startling her badly.

    Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one.  Crane jolted awake, his blue eyes wide with disorientation and a bit of panic.  As soon as he saw her and her proximity to him, time seemed to freeze.  The ex-psychiatrist looked up at her curiously, his eyes fixing on the hand she still had on the pillow.  Then all his tenseness left him in a flood and a curious look came over his gaunt face.  “I have to take that.  Feel free to listen on this end.  I have another phone in the living room,” the blonde found herself offering before she pulled away to give the killer some space.  Instead of heading for the door immediately, she waited for him to okay the plan.

    Jonathan tilted his head, an odd look on his pale face before he was nodding to her.  “The phone line should be long enough to just reach the entrance of my room.  If you stand there, you can watch to see when to pick up,” Marie suggested before she opened her wooden door and left the room.  Once outside, she waited until Crane was in her doorway before picking up her ringing phone.  “Hello?” she asked as the former doctor picked up the handle of the phone he held.

    “Morning Miss. Jovian.  Just checking in with you after the events of last night,” Mr. Mickleson replied, his voice faintly tinged with worry.

    “I know how this is going to sound but nothing overtly dangerous happened.  Joker stopped immediately when I showed up.  I seems he just wanted a chance to give me a ‘proper goodbye’,” she replied, not really enjoying the memory of what happened.  Crane only watched her neutrally, the phone pressed to an ear as he covered the mouthpiece.

    There was only silence on the other end, almost making the blonde fear that the call had been dropped until she heard a deep sigh.  “I hate to do this to you after what you’ve been through with him, but I need to to come in for Joker today,” came a regretful, apologetic reply.  Immediately Marie’s eyes went to Jonathan, giving him a questioning gaze as she continued.

    “I don’t know if I can.  Just what’s going on Dave?” the young woman asked, her stormy orbs fixed on her former patient.

    “He’s been hard to handle this morning.  He’s refused to go to hygiene time for the patients on lockdown.  He’s refused to eat breakfast and, in fact, threw it at the guard that gave it to him.  He’s fought the staff every step of the way with his make-up and he’s been threatening self-harm if he doesn’t see you,” her boss and ‘Uncle’ informed her.

    At that moment, Marie was extremely grateful for the fact that videophones hadn’t been invented yet as she was sure her face had gone an alarming shade of white.  The last thing she wanted right now was to expose herself to Joker again so soon after last night.  That whole event had made it very clear to her that he saw her as his next conquest, an idea that sent chills down her spine.  Still, she couldn’t allow him to commit self-harm.  Still looking at Jonathan, she waited to see what he would allow her to do.  To her shock and dismay, Crane gave a small nod.  “Okay Mr. Mickleson, I can be there in a half hour given the traffic around here,”  she sighed before she hung up.  It was at that moment that she realized she had still yet to do laundry and was stuck with wearing casual clothing to work and she began to question why the universe hated her.

    As soon as she got there, she knew something was wrong and it took everything within her not to turn her car around and drive back home.  Just looking at the outside of the building set warning bells off inside her, as if her instincts were telling her that Hell was awaiting her inside.  Gathering her courage and grimacing at her black t-shirt and blue jeans, the twenty-eight year old went into the looming asylum.  There she was greeted with the very notable absence of the perky receptionist.  Feeling her skin crawl on her arms, the cautious female slowly began to enter into the doctor’s area of the facility.  Once again, she was greeted with the sight of absolutely no one.

    It was at that moment that Marie felt true and absolute terror.  The silence was eerie, as if there wasn’t a single living soul here and she felt nausea began to bubble in the pit of her stomach.  She didn’t even have to question what happened, somehow she just knew it had to do with Joker and she had to leave.  The only problem was, fear had rooted her to the spot.  As much as everything inside her was screaming at her to escape, her body simply wouldn’t budge.  Not even when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the Level 5 and she found herself moaning softly as her heart danced a fandango in her chest.  “My, my do we have another contestant?” came the insane titter of a very familiar voice.

    Her heart seemed to thud in time with the footsteps as Joker and a large group of patients slowly came into view.  As soon as he saw her, the clown’s lips spread into a wide grin as he spread his purple clad arms in welcome.  “Good morning Marie!  Did you sleep well last night?” the criminal asked in a knowing tone as he and his mob began to approach her.  Seeing that many patients heading towards her was enough to kick in her flight response and she was finally running, her heart racing in her ears as she heard the practical stampede behind her.

    To her shock, Joker ordered them to stop and they did.  She very nearly stopped herself out of sheer surprise but managed to keep going.  She had just about reached the doors that lead to freedom when she was grabbed from behind in a tight bearhug.  “You can run surprisingly fast Doc,” came a breathless voice beside her ear.  Then her world was spinning as she was spun to face a very amused, but winded looking Joker.  For some reason, seeing the fact that she had caused him to get out of breath filled her with an odd pride.  A feeling she would have to shove aside for now.

    “What did you do with the other doctors?” she found herself asking, just a touch of her fear fading when she saw the crowd of patients had listened to Joker and had stayed behind.

    “Let’s just say they’re, uh, walkin’ a mile in our shoes,” he replied before releasing one of his horrible peals of laughter.  Just hearing it chilled her to the bone and she found herself thinking on what he had said when he first saw her.  It had almost sounded like...

    “Did... did you know that Jonathan was going to be at my house?” she asked, just a bit of sadness beginning to fill her.  To her dismay, she had found what happened last night oddly romantic.  Now she had found out it had been a way to get her out of the house it felt more like a betrayal.

    “Yes but don’t ya start thinkin’ I lied to ya!  I was just, uh, killin’ two birds with one stone,” the killer responded rapidly, a quick flash of worry coming over his painted face.  It was so brief, Marie almost thought she had hallucinated it.  Then he was shoving her out of the door and steering her to her waiting car.

    “We don’t have time to, uh, dawdle.  I’m pretty sure that boss of yours hit a silent alarm,” Joker giggled, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips and scars as he opened the driver’s door for her.

    Blinking up at the green haired male, Marie turned her gaze back to Arkham to see the patients flooding out the doors and fleeing into the city.  The thought of all the chaos this would cause made her shudder, especially when she saw very familiar super villains.  A tapping on her head brought her attention back to Joker and she slid into the car.  Yet, instead of driving off like a sane person, she sat and waited for the mass murderer to get into the passenger’s seat.  “Seatbelt please,” her voice chided from far away as her body mechanically clicked her own into place and turned the key in the ignition.  Then she was driving to her apartment, her brain screaming at her the entire way.

    To be honest, she had no idea why she hadn’t taken the opportunity to escape.  Later she would convince herself it had been because Joker would come back to Arkham for her but right now she was drawing a blank.  Even her passenger seemed a bit stunned and he hadn’t taken his eyes off her once since they had pulled out of the parking lot.  Doing her best to ignore his attention, Marie allowed her mind to wander to all the questions she had.  Had what had happened in the past few days been a part of a convoluted plan to break the patients out?  Then why hadn’t Joker taken the opportunity to do it last night?  Why had he lured her to Arkham to allow Jonathan access to her apartment?

    Only reaching her building broke her from her thoughts and she realized she couldn’t just bring Joker in the front.  Someone like him would be far too conspicuous and...  That was when she caught her train of thought and her world froze around her.  Why was she treating this so normally?  Why wasn’t she making plans for escape or turning these people in?  More importantly, why the hell had she driven one of the most wanted men in Gotham to her apartment?!  Knowing she had no good answers to any of these, the blonde began to pull into the parking garage; a place she had never parked in all her time living here.  Something about the dark garage had always creeped her out but right now she really had no choice.

    As soon as she had parked and turned off the car, she turned to face the criminal beside her.  Although she was outwardly calm, inside she was utterly terrified.  Outside of the asylum, there would be no one to save her from their violent impulses.  Yet, it wasn’t as if that wasn’t already the case with Roger.  While Crane had tried to kill her in the past, he had stopped that at least a year ago.  Then there was Joker.  The decorated killer had also strangled her a couple times but had shown no honest intention to kill her.  In some sick way, Marie sincerely preferred to die by their hands than her boyfriend’s.  “Ya brought me home,” the current object of her thoughts murmured in a soft, vaguely confused voice and effectively drawing her focus back to him.

    “Well, why not.  I already have one of you living here, might as well make it two,” she replied, a bit surprised at the words leaving her mouth.  Yet, if she looked inside herself, she truly didn’t mind the thought of either of them living with her.  In fact, the idea somehow made her feel more safe; an idea that was deeply unsettling.

    Joker seemed just as perplexed by her response, his painted brow crinkling as his gaze wandered to the still bruised left side of her face.  “He must treat ya pretty bad if ya don’t mind a couple murderers livin’ with ya,” he whispered before he got out of her car.  Marie could only stare after him, the truth of his words twisting in her heart like a knife.  How fucked up was her life that she wasn’t fighting this more?  Then he was opening her door and staring down at her expectantly, an oddly serious look on his made-up face.  It was in that moment that she realized there was just nothing for her to lose.

    Without warning, she was throwing her arms around the taller man and giving him the most passionate kiss she had ever given.  At first he stiffened, unsure if she was attacking him or not.  Then he was relaxing into her and wrapping his arms tightly around her as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.  His tongue lapped at her lips for entrance and she yielded to meet his appendage with her own.  The tips swirled around eachother slowly before Joker was breaking the kiss and offering her his jacket covered arm.

    As soon as they came into the apartment, they were greeted with the highly surreal vision of Crane wearing an apron while fixing some breakfast.  Somehow, Marie wasn’t surprised that it was a meal fit for three.  It was almost as if all of this had been planned by the man that was currently examining the room they were in.  “You guys are a few minutes late,” the former Psychiatrist scolded, not looking up from the stove as he flipped over an omelette.

    “Do ya have any idea what traffic is like this time of morning?!” the blonde found herself retorting, almost as if he had always lived there.  She was kinda stunned just how easily she had adapted to all of this and a bit scared as well.

    Joker let out a small chuckle, jumping slightly when Jasper began to weave between his legs.  “Well hello, who are you?” he cooed in a uncharacteristic baby voice as he scooped the jiggly cat up in his purple clad arms.

    “His name is Jasper, I’ve had him since the seventh grade,” Marie replied, her head spinning slightly as Crane set the table and dished out the food.  The killer only smiled down at the relaxed feline, rubbing his belly gently before putting him down and sitting at the table.

    Looking up at her, the decorated male patted the chair next to him while Jonathan took a seat.  The whole scene seemed homey in a twisted way and she found herself sitting next to Joker like she belonged there.  Soon they were all eating their food and chatting like three perfectly normal people.  Marie could almost forget that she was eating with two murderers which only served to confuse her more.  Surely something like this should be more uncomfortable.  She was expecting to be tied up and carted around like a sack of grain, not treated like a trusted accomplice.

    When they were finished eating, the tux wearing male next to her got to his feet as he looked down at her apologetically.  “Sorry for this Doc.  Ya can’t know where we’re goin’,” Joker murmured before he was pressing a chloroform soaked rag to her nose and mouth.  Instead of fighting, the Psychologist merely thought _‘Ugh, not again’_ before her world went black.  As soon as she was out, the green haired criminal was picking her up and setting her on the couch.  Then he and Jonathan got busy, stopping every now and again to make sure the blonde was still breathing.


	11. Home Sweet Warehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I must say, I have been having blast writing Joker. He’s so... odd.

The smell of something coppery and the feeling of something sticky on her hands.  Darkness and her heart beating in her ears as she listened to a familiar voice calling her name sweetly.  Blinding light as the closet door opened.  Blood, panic, screaming!  George!  Daddy!  Mommy!  Uncle Dave help!  Screaming, screaming, screaming and then harsh shaking.  “No, no, no,” came a voice as if through a fog and sounding miles away.  Yet the voice sounded like hers and she slowly found herself leaving the land of blood and death.  Slowly swimming upward through molasses and still the screaming continues as does the shaking.

“Turn her sideways!  She’s vomiting!” came an urgent order from a very familiar voice.  Then she was jerked roughly to the side as her body heaved and what she had eaten for breakfast left her stomach in a hot rush.  The substance hit what sounded like a concrete floor but she could focus on that right now.  All she could focus on was the sickening pounding of her head and the severe disorientation she felt.

“What the hell was that?!” came a shaken, pissed off sounding voice right behind her as she continued to expel her meal.  Soon there was nothing left and her stomach began to settle, though the smell of slightly used eggs in the air honestly didn’t help.

“N-nightmare,” she gasped out as she tried to catch her breath.  It was so fucking bright in here!  The light was like a jagged knife in her brain and she found herself whimpering as she shielded her aching eyes with an arm.

“Must have been some fucking nightmare,” replied the voice from behind her as someone got up and moved across the room.  Then the light was turned off, only a dim glow in the background left.

Marie could only hum her agreement, keeping her eyes shut as her brain throbbed between her temples.  If she never had to be chloroformed again, it would be too soon.  “I know it’s a bit of a stretch but would either of you happen to have an aspirin and a glass of water?” the pained female asked in a voice that was much too weak for her liking.  She almost sounded like a child pleading for a teddy bear.

“Of course, we had one waiting for when you woke up,” came the other voice, the sound moving closer as something cool and cylindrical was pressed into the hand that wasn’t draped over her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered, sitting up slowly and opening her eyes just a crack.  She could make out the dim shapes of two men as well as the fact that she seemed to be in some sort of warehouse.

Her memories slowly coming back, Marie found herself oddly calm.  It probably had a lot to do with the fact that she wasn’t restrained and the two that had kidnapped her were now seeing to her comfort.  It was an odd world she lived in when two criminals treated her better than her current boyfriend ever did.  Shaking off the thought, the blonde held out her hand toward the thinner figure that she assumed was Crane.  Two pills were then placed in her palm and she swallowed them as her vision slowly cleared enough to make out who was who.  “Thanks Jonathan,” she murmured, giving him a grateful smile.

“Yanno, most people would be a bit more cautious about taking shit someone like Crane gave them,” Joker observed from her left side.  Marie only shrugged as she lay back down to let the pain subside.

“Either way I’m dead, I just get to choose how I die in this circumstance,” the blonde 

replied in a weary voice, not daring to turn her head due to the sick throbbing in her skull.

“What did he do to you?  Why do you stay with him?” Crane snarled from by her head as his fingers gingerly played with her temples.

“It’s a very long story, not all of it I’m comfortable sharing,” she replied, jumping slightly when she heard a new set of footsteps approaching.

“We got her shit loaded in yer room boss,” came a thickly accented, fairly stereotypical thug voice.  Just hearing that very nearly made her giggle, making her wonder if she had retained some sort of damage from the chloroform.  Then it dawned on her what the man said and she immediately sat up.

“What?!  How long are you going to keep me here?” the Psychologist asked, the room spinning and instantly making her regret moving so quickly.  Then she was dry heaving over the side of the raised gurney she had been placed on, long strings of saliva leaving her mouth due to lack of anything in her stomach.

“Fuck, send someone in to clean this mess up and fetch some dramamine,” the green haired criminal bit out while Crane rubbed her back in soothing circles.  Then the intruder was gone, leaving her alone with the pair of killers.

“You never answered my question,” Marie croaked once the heaving had stopped, laying on her back as she shut her eyes again.  Thankfully the medicine was beginning to kick in and the sickening pain caused by the chloroform was beginning to recede.

“Call it indefinite accommodations,” Joker replied, his voice holding an odd edge as he seemed torn between watching the entry and keeping an eye on her.

“Mmm, what’s the star rating of this joint?  Is it any better than the place I worked at?” the blonde replied dryly, smirking when the purple clad criminal beside her let out a quiet chuckle.

“It ain’t the ritz but no one will bother ya.  There’s always food in the kitchen but there isn’t much of a view,” he responded, looking up at Crane who simply continued examining her.

“It appears to be a bad hang over caused by the chloroform,” the former Psychiatrist responded, as if answered a question that hadn’t been asked.  It was at that moment that the thug from before returned with the dramamine and a rag.  Thankfully he didn’t take long to mop up the vomit and leave once more.

“Yeah, if it’s all the same to you guys I would prefer not to do that again,” the prone woman requested weakly, the pain in her head dimming to nothing more than a headache as she watched the man leave.  Soon it wouldn’t even be that, something she was honestly grateful for.

“Craney, would ya go see how Jasper is doin?” Joker asked, something in his slightly nasally voice telling her there was another reason.  The taller, more thin male only nodded compliantly before leaving the two of them alone.

Silence stretched between them as Marie gathered her strength, slowly sitting up and cradling her head like a faberge egg.  “Jasper huh?  You really went all out.  Just what did you grab from my apartment and how did you get it all here without being seen?” the twenty-eight year old asked, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the metal bed she lay on.

“What the Hell was all of that about Marie?” came an uncharacteristically concerned voice, nearly making her jump out of her skin.  Surely that couldn’t have been Joker?  He almost sounded scared by her simple nightmare.

“I already told you what it was,” she replied, some of the panic from the dream returning.  It was a memory about the night her boyfriend died but everything was wrong.  Her parents were dead and their blood was on her hands.  Shaking off the unpleasant memory, the casually dressed woman looked up to see a frustrated ‘Clown Prince’ glowering down at her.

“That didn’t seem like a nightmare Doc, I’ve had enough to know.  That seemed like a suppressed memory,” he murmured in an oddly serious voice, his green eyes seeming to search her for something.

At that moment it struck her as oddly funny to see Joker doing  _ her _ job and on her no less.  Giggling at the absurdity, Marie only shook her head.  “Are you playing Psychologist Joker?  That’s unexpected coming from you.  Look, it’s just a nightmare that I really don’t want to discuss the details of,” she replied, not wanting to go down this avenue right now; least of all with the criminal in front of her.

“You were acting like your were being attacked or were attacking someone.  You gave me a few, uh, war wounds to remember ya by when I tried to restrain your thrashing,” the decorated male responded as he showed her his bare forearm.  There were several nasty looking scratches, looking as if she had tried to sharpen a pair of scissors on him.

“Holy shit!  Have you gotten those looked at?” was the first thing out of her mouth, her inner doctor kicking in as she slid off the wheeled gurney and took the injured appendage in gentle hands.  The murderer only gave her a bemused look before tugging his arm out of her grasp.

“Who’s George?” he asked suddenly, his eyes watching her carefully for her reaction.

Marie jolted in place, the name familiar but not.  Just hearing it brought back memories of her nightmare all too clearly.  “I... I don’t know,” she whispered in a confused, lost sounding voice.  Then she seemed to shrug it off as if it didn’t matter, taking his injured forearm in her hands again.

“Though that doesn’t really matter right now.  Where do you keep first aid supplies?” the concerned female asked, determined to avoid this subject for now.  She had no idea just what was going on but it felt like it was getting too close to something for her own comfort, something dark and long buried.  Once again Joker tugged his arm free of her hold, giving her an impatient glare.

“I’d say it matters.  You didn’t see the way you were thrashing around or hear you screaming like you were being murdered,” he responded, a firm tone to his voice that told her he was anything but willing to let this go.

“I really don’t want to talk about it.  I mean, are  _ you _ going to tell me all of  _ your _ dark secrets?” Marie hissed irritably.  His persistent questioning was only causing things to stir up in her head more and she simply didn’t want to think about it.  That night had been one of the worst in her entire life, she didn’t need her mind’s fabrication to make it any worse.  Yet something deep inside her told her there was something more to these nightmares.

Joker pursed his ruby lips at her words, his scars giving his expression an even more sinister look.  Then he was bowing to her and offering her his uninjured arm.  “Shall I show ya around the place?  It’s not much but we like to call it home,” the criminal offered, moving on as if their previous conversation had never happened.  Marie could only give him a confused glance before simply shrugging and giving him her arm.  If she was going to be here awhile, she would have to learn to take odd behavior in stride.  The bright side was that her time working at Arkham had well prepared her for that.

“Who all is we?  Somehow I doubt you and Jonathan were always so chummy,” the blonde asked as he led her into a surprisingly well furnished living area.  The area behind her must be used for storage and a pseudo sickbay for those injured in heists.

There was a large kitchen and dining area with a living room in close proximity to the kitchen.  Said living room was filled with large couches and a few odd chairs, all pointed to face a rather nice T.V.  Currently there was an emergency bulletin about Joker’s escape from Arkham, along with a lot of other super villains.  Some of the people released were even more dangerous than the man slightly off to her left.  Of course all of Joker’s men laughed at this while they either stuffed their faces or picked at their crotch.  “Ah, so that’s the mysterious ‘we’,” Marie found herself joking, a bit surprised at herself.

It was then a realization smacked into her like a ten ton truck.  She was actually happy and relaxed.  In a den of murderers, thieves, rapists and villains she felt more at home than she had in years, a fact that shocked her to her very core.  Had Roger really made her existence  _ that _ miserable?  At that thought, another, more unwelcome realization washed over her.  Roger.  If she disappeared, what would he do to her sister and her children?  Her mother?  They were the last family she had left.  All at once panic filled her and she swayed slightly on her feet.

Joker, who was right beside her, was supporting her in moments; his painted brow furrowed.  Then he was scooping her into his incredibly strong arms and carrying her past the living room, heading to some stairs that lead up to an office area.  Mounting the metal steps two at a time, the green haired male kept his grip on her tight as he kicked open his slightly open door.  Jasper, who had been sleeping on the bed like he belonged there, jolted up at the sound; giving the pair an offended look before crawling under the piece of furniture.

Ignoring the feline, the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ set the Psychologist on his purple sheets before shutting the door and locking it.  Then he was turning to quirk a brow at her, crossing his purple clad arms as he gave her a rather impatient gaze.  The black around his eyes only gave him a haunting look, accentuating his glittering, hazel eyes.  “Care to explain just what’s botherin’ ya?” he growled, his voice tinged with frustration.  Just his tone told her he had enough of all her odd behavior and he wasn’t going to let this one go.

“M-my boyfriend.  I... I need to know how you left my apartment,” the sincerely frightened blonde replied, her stormy eyes wide with terror.  The criminal before her only tilted his head in confusion, his brow furrowing as he pursed his red lips.

“We made it look like ya had been kidnapped by yours truly.  Even left my calling card.  Why?” he replied, a gloved index finger tapping his right bicep.

“R... my boyfriend...  He made it very clear that if I ever disappeared that...  I just can’t take the chance of him thinking I ran away,” Marie replied, relaxing slightly but still looking worried.  Would Roger buy the ruse?  Granted it wasn’t really a trick.  Crane and Joker  _ had _ kidnapped her but it had probably been the most gentle kidnapping in history.  In fact, she was being treated more like a roommate than a captive.

“Marie, I am over all the obfuscations...  Either you tell me what’s going on or we’re going to have, uh, a problem,” the dangerous male ground out, his voice letting her know all of his patience had been used up for the day.

“I... I just can’t there are more people involved than just me.  People that mean a lot to me.  What makes you think threats will work on me when I stayed with my boyfriend knowing he could kill me?  Do you honestly think I would have stayed if I had any choice?” she retorted, nervous despite what she had just said.  She had no desire to die but she wasn’t going to be forced into something because she was threatened with death.  To be honest, if she had to be killed; she would rather it be Joker or Jonathan.  They would probably make sure it was as quick and painless as possible.  Roger would want to see her suffer, getting some sick thrill out of her pain and screams.

Joker only stared down at her before releasing a rather bitter sounding snort of laughter.  “Ya go me there.  Look Doc, I’ll let ya keep this a secret for now but just know I’m not a very patient man.  If this becomes a problem again, I will need you to tell me just what the fuck is going on,” he hissed, frustration tinging his mid-tone voice as he ran a leather covered hand through his dyed locks.  Marie could only snort as she rolled her eyes.  Still, she knew she couldn’t keep her secrets forever.  With the connections he had, Roger was bound to become a pain sooner rather than later.

Suddenly she found herself being yanked to her feet by her arms, her arm forcibly entwined with his as he jerked her back to the door and unlocked it.  “Come on, I gotta make the introductions,” the irritated criminal bit out, dragging her beside him as he rushed her back downstairs.  With all the rapid location changes, the blonde found her head spinning just a bit as she was dragged back into the living room.  When she came back to her senses, she found herself standing in front of the T.V.; facing a large group of rather irritated men.

“Listen up cause I’m only going to say this once.  Penalty for disobeying this rule will result in death and I won’t exactly stop to listen to excuses.  You all see this woman?  She is  _ mine . _  Just consider her having a sign on her that says ‘Property of J’.  If any of you touches her in an inappropriate manner, well you already know what’ll happen,” the taller male snarled, his hazel eyes holding a steel edge as he surveyed his henchmen.

Marie could only stand beside him in stunned silence, letting his words and actions sink in.  On one hand, it galled her to be referred to as anyone’s property.  On the other hand, that was probably the only thing these men would understand.  In his own way, the killer was trying to make sure she would be safe when neither he or Crane could be here.  “Do you think you could eat?  You must have a pretty empty stomach right now,” came a gentle voice from the kitchen, drawing her attention to Jonathan.  The feared murderer was once again cooking, humming a happy tune as his bony hips wiggled slightly.

“Uh,” the thrown off female replied, her growling stomach answering for her.  Both villains chuckled at her, the tux wearing male next to her leading her to the table and pulling out a chair for her.

Blinking at Joker because of the unexpected gesture, the Psychologist sat at the table; unsurprised with the clown chose a seat next to her.  In fact, he sat so close his thigh was brushing against hers; making her squirm slightly.  Without the handy mask of professionalism, Marie found it much harder to get control over her odd feeling and urges.  His closeness was doing odd things to her insides and she found herself fighting the urge to reach over and place her hand on his.  Nibbling her lip as she desperately tried to ignore this distressing development, the blonde forced herself to focus on Crane and breakfast.  She never noticed Joker watching her closely, a slight smirk on his painted lips.


	12. Horrible Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Oddly domestic isn’t it?

He had been knocking on the door for half an hour now and he was stuck somewhere between deep rage and fear.  Normally Marie would have answered by now and he gave the closed door one last bang before reaching in his jeans pocket for his keys.  If she was in there and had been ignoring him, he was going to teach her a little lesson.  Normally he wouldn’t lay a hand on her while sober but he simply wouldn’t tolerate her ignoring him.  Opening the door with a glare on his face, Roger halted when he saw the state of his girlfriend’s apartment.

It pretty much almost looked like a bomb had gone off, pieces of furniture, stuffing torn from the cushions, silverware and Marie’s clothes were strewn everywhere.  On top of the table was a Joker card, making dread replace the rage from before.  She hadn’t been avoiding him, she had been kidnapped.  Swearing loudly, the former general dug out his cellphone, flipped it open and called some of his connections.  “Hey, yeah we got a problem boys,” he snarled, picking up the card to crumple it up and toss it on the floor.

Lunch had gone surprisingly well, Joker and Crane ushering her to sit on the couch after they were done eating.  Soon she found herself bombarded by news reports about their escapes.  All of Gotham seemed to be in a panic, making Marie wince.  She knew she should be trying harder to notify the authorities but she knew that would only cause more problems for her.  There was no guarantee they would show up at all and she would have to deal with a pair of betrayed psychopaths before they showed up.  As selfish as it sounded, she simply didn’t want to deal with whatever torture would happen if she dared to try turning them in.

As if he could sense her thoughts, the clown beside her stared down at her with an intense gaze.  “You don’t have to worry about me.  You aren’t a threat to my family so I could care less what you do to Gotham,” the Psychologist sighed, finding her words rang disturbingly true.  It wasn’t that she didn’t care about the innocent people that could be hurt, it was just that she couldn’t really afford to care in this situation.  She hadn’t been able to afford to care for years thanks to Roger and the constant threat he was to her mother, sister and nieces.  If she couldn’t bring herself to care about her own life, how could she be expected to care for strangers?

“Are you okay Dr. Jovian?  You’re handling this a lot better than I thought you would,” Jonathan murmured from her other side, his blue eyes full of worry for her.

“Marie now Jonathan.  Not much reason to call me a doctor anymore.  It’s not exactly like I can go back to Arkham.  I suppose you two were expecting screaming, begging, crying and escape attempts.  To be honest, I don’t see much point.  I am vastly outnumbered and you are treating me much better than I have been in years.  I don’t really want to risk whatever pleasantness we have with what would ultimately be a fruitless action.  In short, it’s in my best interest to just go with it,” the blonde sighed, giving a tired smile to her former patient as she patted his long, bony hand.  The gaunt male only arched a brow as he pursed his lips.

“What did that bastard have over you?” the former Psychiatrist hissed, darting forward to grab her face suddenly; making her heart jolt with fear briefly.

“Crane,” came a steely voice full of warning from Joker, making Jonathan look up to shoot the other criminal a glare.

“You haven’t been around her for as long as I have!  You didn’t see how she was... before,” the thin male snarled, his bony fingers twitching on her cheeks.

“Let. her. go,” the male that sandwiched her hissed, his voice very nearly a growl.

“Easy Jonathan.  It’s okay,” the blonde whispered, ignoring the threat on her left for the man holding her face.  Thankfully the killer was more than willing to refocus on her, releasing her with a sigh.

“I’ll... I guess I might as well tell you both at the same time,” the former Psychiatrist sighed, turning to give Joker a placating smile.

The painted male narrowed his eyes, the black around them making them look even more frightening.  His red lips were pursed as his green gazed shifted from her to Crane.  It almost looked as if the ‘Clown Prince’ was jealous, an idea that she rapidly shrugged off.  Joker barely knew her, there was no way her friendship with her former patient would make him jealous.  “Fine, let’s move this conversation to my office,” the tux wearing killer murmured before getting to his feet.

Marie could only look up for a moment before following at a leisurely pace.  She honestly didn’t relish having this conversation with these two men but she honestly saw little choice.  Thinking about it over the short snack she had, the former doctor had come to the  conclusion that she couldn’t hide Roger’s connections anymore.  Especially around someone like the Joker.  The clown was well known for having most of the underground under his thumb, it wouldn’t be long before he found out anyway.  She was so lost in these thoughts that she didn’t even notice they were in the murderer’s office until the door slammed shut.

Looking up at the pair that was currently blocking her only exit, the blonde saw Crane looked concerned and confused while the painted killer next to him simply looked pissed off and impatient.  “Would this have anything to do with what I tried to get out of ya earlier?” the purple clad male gritted out, his hazel eyes flashing with his rage as his gloved hands twitched by his sides.

“A bit, just what you actually need to know about,” the twenty-eight year old answered calmly, clasping her hands in front of her as she gauged their reactions.  Crane still looked confused while Joker looked on the verge of losing what little patience he had.

“Roger has... extensive connections in the underground.  Some of them even stem into law enforcement and government.  The people he knows could find me in an instant if he wished for it,” she whispered, avoiding their gazes as she suddenly found a caricature of Batman on the wall very interesting,  Yes, the use of different colored darts really made a statement about this crude drawing.

“So yer sayin’ yer ex is on the same level as me?” the make-up wearing killer hissed, the sound of leather tightening filling the small room.  Yep, the grotesque bat head on a human body was sheer genius!

“He’s not a criminal and he holds no power of his own but he has made himself some powerful friends,” she found herself responding calmly, her vision narrowing to focus on the ink and pencil sketch pinned on the wall by a tack.  As strange as the drawing was, it was oddly anatomically correct; as if the artist had cared about it in their own way.

Things went oddly silent, before Joker’s voice came again; sounding as if it was coming from very far away and from deep underwater.  “Craney, give us a few again would ya,” he snarled, very nearly making her heart stop in her chest as panic began to fill her.  This was it, she was going to die at the hands of a former patient.  At least the infamous villain would make it quick and painless.  Forcing herself to keep her stormy eyes on the drawing, the blonde tried to slow her racing heart.  Whatever happened, she would handle it with dignity.

Crane heaved a sigh before leaving and shutting the door, the sound of it closing like a hammer on a coffin nail..  Doing her best to keep her shaking to a minimum, the ex-psychologist just keep her eyes on the scrap of paper as a pair of boots began to approach her.  “Anything else that could be a potential danger that you’re keeping from me?  What about these family members you’re so secretive about?  Are they in law enforcement?  Is that why you haven’t made any attempts to escape or fight?” the killer bit out, a gloved hand shooting out to grip her chin and yank her head to face him.

Grey eyes met hazel and Marie gathered her courage to turn to meet her fate head on.   _ ‘It won’t hurt like with Roger,’ _ played over and over in her head like a sick mantra as she forced herself to keep eye contact.  Yet, when he saw her resignation, the criminal released her and took several steps back; his leather covered hands flexing as they fell to his sides.  “No, there’s no one in my family you have to worry about.  Not even Mr. Mickleson.  Oh Dave would look but he doesn’t have any connections that would help him,” she confessed, her gaze never wavering as her fear slowly ebbed away.

“How do I know yer tellin’ the truth!” the enraged criminal hissed, running a hand through his dyed hair.

“What do I have to gain from lying to you?  A return to a life where I’m beaten once a year?  Sure it isn’t that often, but it’s usually so severe that I seriously think about skipping work the next day.  In a job where consistency is essential for my patients, I don’t take something like that lightly.  You only saw the results once and, trust me, I got off easy that time.  I finally have an easy out from that life, do you really think I’m stupid enough to throw it away?” she replied, a bit surprised by the words that came out of her mouth.  Sure her life with Roger had been Hell but she hadn’t meant to spew all of that out in front of someone like Joker.  Lord only knew how he was going to use this information against her.

It was then a realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she let out a hysterical titter of laughter that startled them both badly.  It didn’t really matter  _ if _ he used her anymore, did it?  She was essentially now more dead than she had ever been when she was with Roger.  At least she had been able to contact her family.  Now she couldn’t even risk picking up a phone for fear of Crane or Joker mistaking it for an attempted escape.  Even if she could call her loved ones, what exactly could she tell them?  She couldn’t tell them where she was or even who she was with.  The moment they brought her here, she had become dead to all who knew her.  “You know, it’s silly to try to keep anything from you anymore.  I might as well tell you my whole fucking life story, it’s not as if we don’t have the whole rest of our lives to get to know eachother,” she giggled, her voice shaky and holding a slightly crazed edge as her vision doubled with tears.

In seconds one of her shoulders was grasped in a harsh, leather covered grip right before she got slapped sharply on the still bruised side of her face.  All at once reality came back in a rush, her earlier hysteria fleeing for clarity as she found herself staring up at a glowering mass murderer.  “Don’t go losin’ your shit  _ now _ doc.  I ain’t got time ta pick ya back up right now,” he hissed as he shoved her back towards his bed.  The backs of her knees hit the mattress, forcing her to plop onto the piece of furniture with a quiet ‘oomph’.

“I believe ya ‘bout yer family, at least for now.  We don’t exactly have a lot of extra rooms so you’ll be sleeping in here.  I have a lot of shit to get caught up on so the place’ll likely be empty tomorrow,” the decorated criminal gritted out, his expression somewhere between impatience and anger.

“Oh and if anyone shows up without me, give me a call with this,” he ordered, tossing a small, black phone at her.  Marie caught it before giving the ‘Clown Prince’ a confused look.  In all the commotion, she had forgotten to question; why had she been brought here in the first place?

“Uh, thanks.  I’m just a bit confused...  I just realized that I’m literally no one important.  Why on Earth did you and Crane kidnap me?” the dirty blonde whispered, looking at the rather old cellphone.  The thing looked like it had come straight from the 90’s and probably only had one number in it’s tiny memory.

“I thought I answered that way back in Arkham.  I want you Marie and when I want something,” he rumbled his voice getting closer and closer  before she looked up to find his lipstick coated mouth nearly brushing hers, “I  _ take _ it,” he finished with a low growl that made her toes curl and a slow burn start up in her lower belly.  Then he was turning and walking out the door, leaving behind a very confused, distressed Psychologist.  Heaving a sigh, she laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling as she tried to figure out what to do.

_ ‘She lay on purple silk sheets as the scarred criminal hovered above her, his bony chest heaving.  Lust and need boiled within her core as her arms reached up to wrap around his neck.  “Mister J,” she purred as he smirked down at her with an almost loving expression. _

_ “Mmmm, what do ya want kitten?” he purred in his nasally voice before his crimson coated lips latched onto a pink nipple and sucked. _

_ “Oooooo, I want you inside me,” she sighed, spreading her legs for the green haired man that was pinning her down with his weight alone. _

_ “If you, uh, insist,” he rasped, his tip on the verge of entering her aching passage when they were interrupted by a shrill scream of excitement.’ _

Marie jolted upright, unsure of what to be disturbed by first.  There was the fact that she was in a killer’s bed and it looked like she had been tucked in rather carefully.  Then there was the fact she was still feeling the burning, pulsing anticipation in her loins from her dreams.  Finally, as if to top off this perfect shitstorm of a night, it sounded as if there was some very loud female company downstairs.  Company that sounded suspiciously like... oh fucking Hell.

In an instant she was awake and looking around for any trace of things that belonged to her.  Unfortunately signs of her presence were everywhere.  Stacks of her clothes were on a dresser with her cat sleeping right on top.  There were a few stacks of her books and movies as well, making her nervousness grow.  If that was Harleen down there and she came up her, she was bound to think she and Joker had been together for months.  “Fucking shit.  Why do you hate me God?  Did I do something to piss you off in a former life?  Whatever it was, I’m sorry already!” the former doctor hissed at the ceiling as she heard bootsteps running up the metal stairs.

“I’m so happy to hear ya got out Puddin!  I got so much to tell ya about what I’ve been up to since you were gone!” came a slightly ditzy, highly unwelcome voice as the doorknob jiggled and turned.

In slow motion, Marie watched as the door swung open; time seeming to stop entirely as the jester suit clad female turned her head and saw her.  Blue met gray as the blonde felt her heart halt in her chest.  All joy slowly fell off the costumed female’s face as confusion and a bit of rage began to replace it.  Then her gaze was moving to take in the rest of the room, her black and red lips pursing as her fury began to take dominance.  “Seems some hussy moved in while ya were gone darlin’,” the ex doctor hissed, venom in her voice as she tore of her ridiculous, dual colored jester cap.

Then the unnaturally pale female was launching herself at her fellow Psychologist, a crazed look on her decorated face.  Just before her black and red nails would have met Marie’s neck, a deadly voice came from the doorway; stopping the crazed female in her tracks.  “If you touch her, I will fucking kill you Harleen,” it hissed, the tone holding deadly promise.

“What?  B-but you never let anyone in your office without permission,” the blonde replied, her voice sounding oddly childish as she spun to give the livid killer a pout.

“Well that would mean she has permission wouldn’t it?” Joker snarled, his mid tone voice dripping with false sweetness as he moved into the room.  Then, with the grace of a big cat, the villain was placing his body between his girlfriend and the stunned female he had kidnapped.

The woman Marie had known as Harleen gave her former patient a slack-jawed look before her ice blue eyes slowly moved to lock on her.  The doctor felt a shiver go through her body as she felt sheer, concentrated hatred shot at her through that glance.  “What makes  _ her _ so special,” the petulant female whined, stomping a curly booted foot as she pouted at the green haired man between them.  Joker only released a low, impatient growl before he wrapped a loose arm around his... girlfriend?  Harleen certainly acted like he was her boyfriend but the murderer acted oddly aloof around her.  In fact, in almost seemed as if it disgusted him to even touch her.

“Do I really need ta explain myself to ya?  Why don’t ya go wait for me downstairs?” he purred, his voice full of honey that sounded false.  The fact that the woman dressed like a jester accepted it with a sappy smile only served to increase Marie’s concerns about herself.  How long would it be before she was a carbon copy of this woman?  How much of what occurred between her and the Joker had been a game to get closer to her?

“Okay!  You know best Mistah J!” the cheerful, flaxen haired female chirped, the odd echo of the Psychologist’s dream making her shudder.  Then the intruder was gone, leaving behind a rather still, quiet criminal.

“You were out for quite some time.  At least the rest of yesterday and most of today.  So far there hasn’t been any word about Roger looking for you but it’s early yet.  Would ya like something to eat?” he announced, turning to give her an odd grin; acting as if nothing had happened.

“I, er... is she gonna be a problem?” the straw haired female asked, her gray gaze moving to the door her former colleague had left through.

“Harley?  Nah, she knows better than to break my toys.  Still, I wouldn’t make any, uh, plans to go out with her alone,” he advised, a worried look briefly crossing his make-up coated face.

A sudden rush of footsteps running up the metal stairs broke the moment; startling the pair as Jonathan rushed into the room.  “Harley’s downstairs,” he gasped, his baby blue eyes full of fear as his gaze landed on Marie.

“Trust me, we’ve met,” the Psychologist sighed, pinching her nose as Crane came the rest of the way into the room.  It was already bad enough that she had ‘Scarecrow’ and Joker to watch out for; with Harley Quinn thrown in the mix, there was no telling just what would happen next.


	13. Life Goes On?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: So evil to poor Marie. Ms. Quinn won’t make this any easier for her.

“Do you honestly think I’m  _ that _ stupid Harleen?” Marie hissed.  The dual dressed woman beside her pouted prettily as she adjusted her eyemask.  For the past half-hour, the odd female had been begging her to go out with her; a fact that honestly stunned the Psychologist as much as it pissed her off.  Did ‘Harley’ honestly think she would be stupid enough to go out with her, especially since she knew about how the golden haired criminal felt about Joker?  There was also the fact that Joker and Crane had been gone for most of the day, the green haired man not seeming the least bit worried about leaving the pair alone.

“I don’t know whatcha mean,” the demented female sing-songed in a her childish falsetto, fluttering her eyelashes in an attempt to look innocent.  It had only been a few days and the female had already caused enough problems to give the Psychologist a pounding headache.

“Joker hasn’t given me permission to go anywhere.  He’s also out of radio contact if you remember correctly,” Marie gritted out through clenched teeth, shoving aside the rest of her breakfast.  Her irritation had quickly made her lose her appetite and all she wanted to do was hide in Joker’s room.  Just thinking about the small room brought back memories of her first night with Harley around.

The older woman had practically thrown a tantrum over the straw haired female getting to stay in the killer’s room while she had to stay below with the henchmen.  “Why dontcha put her in a cage where she belongs!  It’s only a matter of time before she tries something stupid,” the spandex clad woman had protested during dinner, seemingly uncaring about the death glare her ‘boyfriend’ was giving her.

“I don’t explain myself to anyone doll.  You should know that by now,” the irritated murderer had hissed, cutting into his steak viciously as he pointedly avoided looking at the jester suit wearing female on his left side.  Marie sat on his other side, staying as silent as possible as she ate.  Her goal was to be as quiet and as small as possible, seem as non-threatening as she could.

Unfortunately this only seemed to irritate Joker even more and straight up piss Crane off.  The painfully thin male looked about ready to strangle Harley, the painted clown seeming to share the same sentiment as he glared down at his half full plate.  “Marie, do not hide like a naughty puppy.  Ya need ta, uh, stand up for yourself once in awhile.  I can’t always be here ta protect ya,” the fuming criminal bit out before shoving his plate away and getting to his feet.

“She ain’t nothing but a hostage Mistah J!  She shouldn’t even be walking around free,” the indignant doctor turned psychopath snarled, getting to her own feet and slamming her open palms on the wood of the table.

The loud sound caused the long battered woman to jolt out of sheer instinct and she immediately curled into a small ball out of habit.  Seeing her like that set off the two males explosively, Jonathan shooting to his feet while Joker charged his haphazard partner.  A purple gloved hand wrapped around the female’s throat as he slammed her against a wall, his painted, sneering face bare inches from touching hers.  “If I wanted her locked up, she would be.  Let this one go Harls,” the tux wearing male bit out, his hand tightening ever so slightly as Crane moved to check on the shaking Marie.

“Aw come on, it’ll only take a few minutes,” came the falsely childish voice, drawing the former doctor out of her memories.

“I don’t care how long the amount of time is, the answer will still be no.  I’m not an idiot Harley.  I know you’ve been jealous of me since you got here.  I have told you over and over, there is nothing going on between Joker and I.  He doesn’t even come into his room,” the golden haired twenty-eight year old sighed.  So far, the dangerous woman had yet to do anything but Marie knew it was only a matter of time.

“Sweetie, I  _ know _ there’s nothing between you.  What makes you arrogant enough to believe he would want  _ you _ ,” the other woman snarled vitriolically, her blue eyes holding faint disquiet despite her assured tone.

The darker blonde only rolled her gray eyes before disposing of her leftovers and heading for the metal stairs that lead up to Joker’s room.  Ever since the bitter criminal had arrived, the casually dressed doctor had found it easier to wait out the absence of her hosts in the tiny space.  The door had a lock and not even Harley dared to venture inside without the volatile killer around.  “Don’t ya even wanna know where I wanna go?” the older female that followed her whined, making Marie grit her teeth from extreme irritation.

“No,” she supplied succinctly, slamming the door in black and white clad woman’s face before locking it.

Once she was relatively safe, the weary ex-professional flopped on the dusty, ancient mattress; jostling a sleeping Jasper in the process.  Giving her a disgusted look; the well fed cat yawned in her face and stretched lazily before hopping off the bed, moving a grand total of a couple feet to simply plopping on his side with a huff.  “Thanks for your unending support Jas,” she chided playfully, laying on her back as she ran a purple nailed hand down her face.  She was effectively a prisoner here and at a loss for what was going to happen next.  If this were a normal situation, she would be doing her level best to escape but this had reached beyond the realm of normal long ago.

Sighing, the twenty-eight year old sat up and grabbed one of her books from a pile on the dresser.  To her horror and inner amusement, she looked down at the cover of ‘It’.  Yep, the Universe had a shit sense of humor.  Chuckling quietly, the sandy haired female made herself comfortable and began to read.  Ironically, the book was one of her childhood favorites; a fact that was not lost on her.  For some odd reason, a lot of her likes and preferences seemed slightly tied to Joker.  Joker, just thinking about him brought up unwanted and horribly pleasant memories of dreams she had been having.  Dreams of sweaty skin pressing on hers as he kissed her with scarred lips.  Dreams of him taking her so sweetly, she thinks she’ll die.  Shuddering at the pleasant tingles these flashes caused, the flustered woman forced herself to keep reading.  She refused to let herself be controlled by anything, not even her errant lusts.

Unfortunately she found herself defeated as soon as Pennywise was introduced.  Instead of seeing the familiar image of Tim Curry in greasepaint in her mind, she saw the image of a grinning, fanged Joker.  “That is more than enough of that,” she announced to the empty room, her heart thudding in her chest as she closed the book.  That image had both been terrifying and distressingly erotic.  As stuck as she was, it wouldn’t be long until she gave into her more base urges.  The clown wasn’t unattractive, quite the opposite.  His face was handsome despite and maybe because of the scars.  His body also looked great in suit.  There was also his scent.  Everytime he was close to her it was all she could do to keep from rubbing her thighs together to gain some relief.  As much as she hated to admit it, she was falling hard for the murderer.

Running a hand down her face once again, she heaved a sigh as she began to pace nervously.  All at once she really didn’t want to be here.  All at once she wanted to run as far and as fast as she could and just hope he wouldn’t be able to find her.  Even if she was let go, all she had to go back to was a life with Roger and working in Arkham.  It would be inevitable that she would run into the pair again.  She was in an impossible situation and all she wanted to do was curl up and have a good sob or run until she simply couldn’t move anymore.  “How the Hell did this even happen?  All I was doing was my job!  Then  _ he _ comes in and just throws a monkey wrench in the works.  Granted that’s his M.O. but  _ still _ !” she hissed quietly, hoping to Christ Harley wasn’t out there with her ear pressed to the closed door.

As it turns out, the jealous female was doing just that; completely oblivious to the pair of footsteps ascending the metal stairs to her left.  Joker, who was already pissed off due to an explosive failing to go off, grew even more livid when he saw the blonde crouched by his door.  “What the fuck are ya, uh, doing,” he bit out, only feeling slightly gratified when the crazed criminal jolted and shot to her feet with a guilty look.

“Mistah J!  I... er, that is...,” the spandex wearing killer stammered, playing with one of her blonde ponytails nervously.

Crane, who was just as furious as the man in front of him, closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to reign in ‘Scarecrow’.  As gratifying as it would be to tear this little bitch apart, he couldn’t risk what that darker part of him would do to Dr. Jovian.  “Harley, I’m only gonna say this once.  If ya don’t leave my guest alone, I’ll, uh, have ta punish ya,” the ‘Clown Prince’ snarled, gesturing for his unlikely partner to go into the room without him.  Giving the mass murderer a nod, Jonathan knocked on the locked entry.

To her credit, Marie only nearly jumped to the ceiling instead outright flying to the rafters due to the gentle knocking.  Taking a deep breath to calm herself; the purple t-shirt clad woman went to the door, unlocked it and swung it open to find a rather distressing scene.  From the looks of it, Harley had been listening in and looked downright livid.  She now knew the straw haired female wasn’t a traditional hostage.  To be honest, the former psychologist wasn’t even sure of what she was herself.  The pair almost treated her like a member of the crew, stopping short at making her participate in heists.  Sighing, she stepped aside to let Jonathan in and closed the door.  She had no more energy for worrying about her former colleague.  Right now all she wanted to do was crawl in a dark corner and never come out again.

Still, under that, there was a feeling of relief and freedom.  Despite having every opportunity to, neither Joker or Crane had tried to manipulate or harm her.  They were rarely home to begin with but when they were, they always had pleasant conversations with her.  Beyond the fact that they killed people, it almost felt as if she was living with two men who were growing to be her best friends.  Before he had escaped, she had already considered Crane a friend and had seen nothing but the same feeling reciprocated from him.  For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t afraid she was going to wake up to being beaten to death and that singular realization was overwhelming.

All at once she began to cry, not from fear but from sheer relief.  Then, to Jonathan’s honestly cute alarm, she began to let out peals of hysterical laughter as she doubled over and clutched her stomach.  She had no way to tell him it was simply from how good she felt at the moment as she slipped to her knees, how utterly free and that it was all thanks to two murderers who haunted many a nightmare.  The irony of all of this only made her hysterics grow as she flopped from sitting on her knees to her butt, tilted her head at the ceiling and fairly howled; tears of glee rolling down her marble cheeks.  She was aware she must be quite the sight but honestly couldn’t care, simply continued to laugh out years of stress and fear.

Jonathan placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her as she released laughter that sounded more like screams.  “Dr. Jovian!  What’s wrong?!  Can you hear me?!” he yelled, trying to be heard over her hysteria.  Unfortunately the distressing noise had reached Joker and he charged into the room with a briefly panicked look on his painted face.  The black around his hazel eyes gave them a wide, frightened appearance as they looked around the room for Marie.

“What happened?” the concerned killer hollered, moving inside and shutting the door behind him.

“I have no idea!  She preceded this with sobbing soon after I came in,” the former Psychiatrist yelled back, kneeling down so he was eye level with the cackling female.

“Dr. Jovian!” he tried again, his voice gaining a desperate edge as he shook her harshly.  Then he was being knocked harshly out of the way, looking up from his position on the floor to see Joker enveloping the broken woman in his arms.

“Get out,” the ‘Clown Prince’ ordered over her laughter, his focus not on the other male at all.  Instead his eyes were fixed on the laughing woman, his gloved hands beginning to play with her hair as he murmured quietly in her ear.

Jonathan got to his feet slowly, giving his only true friend a worried look.  He really didn’t relish the idea of leaving her alone with someone he considered a madman but he didn’t want to start a fight.  Sighing, he opened the door and left; only to find his eyes landing on a seriously pissed Harleen.  Just seeing her still standing there made rage rush through his veins anew.  Barely containing ‘Scarecrow’, the former Psychiatrist closed the distance in two long steps.  To her credit, the dual dressed blonde went from furious to scared in a split second; backing up until her back hit the steel railing.  His bony hands flew to her shoulders as he pressed her hard against the cold metal.  “Do as he says Harleen, leave this alone.  Leave  _ her _ alone,” the taller male snarled before releasing her and storming down the stairs.

Harley glared at his t-shirt covered back before sticking her tongue out and returning her burning gaze to the closed door.  In all her years with him, he had  _ never _ allowed anyone into his room alone; not even her.  She had forgotten that a few times and had always paid a painful price.  Now he was allowing a woman to stay in there, a woman that wasn’t even really a hostage.  There was only one thing all this could mean and she didn’t like it one bit.  Gritting her teeth, the pigtail wearing criminal stormed downstairs and threw herself on the couch.  No matter what, she had to get rid of this other woman.  If that whore was gone, she was certain Mistah J would go back to loving her again.  Turning the channel to ‘Looney Tunes’, the female clown began to make plans to rid herself of the homewrecker upstairs.  She wasn’t aware of Crane watching her closely from the kitchen.

Marie was fully aware of what was going on and was extremely shocked when Joker had basically knocked away his partner and gathered her in his arms.  She was even more shocked when he began to pet her like a cat and murmured soothing things in her ear.  As surprised as she was, this didn’t stop all her pent up stress and pain from leaving her via hysterical laughter.  A fact that seemed to distress the killer that held her.  In a flash he was pulling the leather off his hands with his teeth before he captured her moist face in his rough hands and forced her to look at him.

Despite the scars that forced a smile on his face, the criminal looked oddly serious as his verdant eyes locked with hers.  “Breathe with me Marie, I know ya can do it,” he whispered, breathing in through his nose slowly and breath out of his mouth just as slowly.  Still cackling helplessly, Marie did as he asked; imitating him perfectly.  Amazingly enough, this helped some of the laughter calm just slightly

“Good, keep goin’ just like that,” he encouraged, relief briefly coming across his make-up coated face.  It was so brief she had to wonder if she had just imagined it as she did as he suggested.

Soon her laughter had trailed off into occasional, much more healthy sounding giggles.  Then the purple clad murderer was pulling her to her feet, yanking her against him and pressing a hand to the small of her back.  Just the heat of his palm was doing terrible things to her and the blonde swallowed thickly as her heart began to race.  “Care to explain what that was about,” the clown murmured in a quiet voice that sent a chill of fear down her spine, effectively dousing the fire building in her core.  Yet, under the fury in his hazel gaze, the ex-Psychologist saw a thin thread of fear that frankly confused her.

“I just... you guys freed me.  I mean, yeah I’m sorta stuck in this warehouse but I don’t have to worry about waking up to being beaten because I didn’t close the steel door I installed.  Do you have any idea how liberating that is?” she replied around the giggles that still streamed past her lips despite the tenseness in the room.

The hand on her back flexed as the killer took in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly.  For just a moment, she could have sworn she saw a deep hatred in those dead eyes.  A hatred that seemed to be directed at her boyfriend.  Well, technically ex-boyfriend now.  Then it was gone and his ruby lips stretched into a frightening smile.  “How would ya like to ,uh, go out with me and the boys tonight?” he hissed, something strange sparkling in his green eyes.

“Uhhhh,” Marie breathed, the wash of terror that rushed over her effectively killing off the last of her hysteria.

“Good!  I knew you’d love ta come!” the green haired man exclaimed, squishing her to him before releasing her and heading to the door.

“We’ll call it a date,” he declared, pulling his gloves and waving to her with his fingertips before heading out; leaving Marie to wonder just what had happened there.


	14. Second... Date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I want to take a moment to thank two special reviewers for their constant support. Sam and KaibaSlaveGirl34, you guys are awesome and have honestly helped me more than you know! :3 (Also I just found out David Bowie and Alan Rickman died. R.I.P. Mr. Bowie and Mr. Rickman.)

As she rode in the back of a windowless van squished between Joker and Crane, Marie found herself seriously reflecting on her choices in life.  She was dressed in the purple suit she had worn during her last appointment with Joker and the crazed man had given her face a paint job that matched his own.  Looking down at the semi-auto on her lap, the blonde grimaced at the thought of what they were about to do and why she looked like this. Apparently the criminal’s idea of a second date was taking her on a bank heist, a fact that didn’t surprise her as much as it frightened her.  She would probably end up having to kill some innocent people to stay in her companions’ good graces and she honestly didn’t know if she could pull the trigger.  If it came between her own safety and the life of some hapless employee or patron, she didn’t think she would be able to make that choice.  “We’re almost there boys!  Lock and load!  Marie, you stay behind me,” the decorated killer announced cheerfully, the scars on his cheeks making his grin seem ghoulish.

The former Psychologist only grimaced before carefully clicking the safety off on her rifle and putting it into a ready position.  She prayed to any God listening that she wouldn’t have to shoot anyone as the large vehicle parked and the henchmen poured out first.  Then Joker and Crane were exiting the car with her following close behind.  As soon as they were out of the car, the clown mask wearing men charged into the large building and began to open fire.  “Now we wait out here until the smoke clears a bit,” the make-up wearing male cackled, pulling on a mask that matched his men.  Jonathan only rolled his eyes before pulling a familiar, burlap mask out of his jacket pocket.

Just seeing that sent a chill down Marie’s spine as she pulled on her own rubber mask.  She would essentially be working with ‘Scarecrow’ and the idea filled her with absolute terror.  A sudden hissing noise filling the mask brought her back to reality with a snap and she filled with panic until she smelled fresh air.  “Craney wants to play today,” the clown purred by her ear as she felt a finger pressing something in the side of her disguise.

“Oh shit,” she hissed, her fear increasing as she realized just what the tux wearing male meant.  Jonathan was going to use his infamous fear gas, a prospect that would set anyone’s knees to knocking.

“I know!  It’s gonna be one Hell of a party,” the green haired killer beside her cackled, whumping her on the back a bit too hard and very nearly knocking the wind out of her.

This action seemed to provoke the good doctor as he slipped on his mask.  Unfortunately, once the rough material touched his skin, he lost all control of himself.  Once the handmade disguise was on, ‘Scarecrow’ was in charge until it came back off.  In a flash, the darker half of the Psychiatrist was charging the clown; his hand going around his neck.  Joker didn’t even flinch, just brought out a switchblade and held the tip against Crane’s jugular.  “Don’t” came out of Marie’s mouth unconsciously as fear filled her for her former patient and only real friend in this situation.

“What’s the matter Scarecrow?” the painted criminal teased, seemingly ignoring Marie to focus on the masked man that was coming very close to choking him.

The rail thin killer only panted heavily, his breathing sounding oddly metallic and muffled.  It almost sounded as if there was a gas mask covering his mouth and nose.  Instead of answering verbally, he entered into a stalemate with the slightly shorter male.  After a few moments of the pair simply glaring daggers, Marie cleared her throat to bring their attention to her.  “Uh, is this the best time for this?” she murmured, jostling the rifle she held in her hands as the sound of gunfire was heard from inside the bank behind her.

Giving eachother a curt nod, the pair separated before ‘Scarecrow’ charged in and threw a smoke grenade.  With the sounds of screams that soon followed, the twenty-eight year old found her worst fears confirmed.  Crane had used his infamous fear gas, a neurotoxin so powerful that some versions could render a victim permanently insane.  A sharp yank on her wrist brought her back to reality as Joker dragged her inside though a thick fog of the gas.  Despite the oxygen actively flowing into her disguise, Marie began to see faint hallucinations caused by the chemical and she knew this would have to be quick.  “Get behind me!” the ‘Clown Prince’ urged, a strange, dead joy in his nasally voice as he shoved her behind his purple clad back.  Then he fired a spray of bullets into the air to get the attention of his men.

The gun wielding, masked mob turned to face their boss, who gestured with the muzzle of his rifle to the area of the bank that held the safes.  The former Psychologist kept her back to his, her gray eyes watching the forms of the people writhing on the stone floor.  Most of them were too busy fighting things only they could see or were completely locked in their own minds.  She was so focused on the patrons fighting off their imaginary demons that she didn’t see the guard wearing the gas mask until he leveled his gun to point at Joker’s head.  That was when she made a split second decision and forever changed herself as a person.

Marie hefted her gun as if in slow motion, doing her best to aim with her vision obscured by the clown mask over her face.  Then she took a deep breath and put all those gun lessons she had as a child with her father to good use.  Her finger squeezed the trigger and her dominant hand held the barrel steady on the guard.  Then a loud bang filled the room, barely able to be heard over all the screaming but still deafening all the same.  Her target’s head exploded into a red mist just as Joker turned to see what was going on.  His eyes widened as he took in the events that happened in mere moments.

She had actually done it.  She had killed an innocent man doing his job for the sake of the psychopath that had caused all of this.  Nausea filled her as she watched his blood splatter on the wall in slow motion, her rifle slowly slipping out of her grip.  And yet, despite how sick she felt at the idea of killing someone, the blonde couldn’t find it in herself to regret her actions.  The thought of seeing the man behind her die almost made her feel more sick than killing the guard had.  Suddenly she was spun to face the confused killer she had just saved, his green eyes looking over her masked face before locking on her own eyes.  “Boss!  We got the dough!” came a call from one of the goons, popping the moment like a delicate soap bubble.

‘Scarecrow’, who had been watching his victims from nearby, jerked and grabbed one of her arms in a cold grip before tugging her away from Joker and out the door.  The green haired male followed close behind, cackling madly as he tugged a grenade from an inner pocket in his jacket.  Then he was pulling the pin and tossing it in as the dark half of her friend picked her up and threw her in the back of the van.  The pair soon piled in and the van sped off as the building exploded.  Joker cackled wildly the entire time, pulling a stunned, still nauseous Marie off the vehicle’s floor.  “That was great!  You all did me proud boys!  Now we have enough money for what I have in mind for our dear Gotham,” he purred, pulling her into his lap as his empty eyes locked on hers.

Crane pulled off his homemade mask with a grimace, smoothing back his disheveled hair as he sat next to the shorter criminal.  Immediately his blue gaze traveled to the too pale Psychologist in his partner’s arms and he wondered just what had happened while ‘Scarecrow’ had been in charge.  “Thanks for, uh, savin’ my life back there,” the painted murderer rasped, all humor falling off his face as his gaze grew outright analyzing.  Well, that answered part of the question.

“Are you alright Marie?” Jonathan whispered, his concern for her over riding his respect for her.

“I... I killed someone...,” she whispered in a stunned voice before her slightly gray face contorted and she was scrambling out of the ‘Clown Prince’s’ tight hold.  As soon as she was free, she was on all fours and vomiting as quietly as she could manage.  Crane was by her side in seconds, rubbing her back as he gave the green haired male a confused look.

“A guard was gonna shoot me in the head.  Bon Jovi there took care of it,” the tux wearing killer replied, looking just as worried as the ex-Psychiatrist.

Once she was done throwing up, she wiped her chin with an embarrassed look.  “Sorry.  just give me a rag to wipe that up would ya,” she sighed, acting as if what she had done was no more than going to a store to buy a pack of gum.

“I’ll get that but don’t worry about it right now.  Are you okay?” Jonathan asked, pulling her into his arms to stop her motions.  He was worried about her reaction.  It seemed highly atypical of a person that just shot someone and he found himself preparing for a nuclear bomb.

“I don’t regret saving Joker’s life.  I just regret the guard had to lose his,” she replied before stubbornly pulling away to grab a rag from a box under the seat said murderer was sitting on.  The only thing that stopped her was a leather gloved hand on her wrist.  Looking up, she saw the severe looking green eyes of Joker.

Then he was yanking her up and pulling her into his purple clad lap.  “You don’t regret having an innocent man’s blood on your hands?” he hissed out in an urgent tone, his eyes narrowing as they seemed to search her for something.

“I regret having to take a life but I would do it again if put in the same position,” she replied, doing her best to ignore the guilt and panic rising within her.  Already she was having odd flashes of the night her boyfriend died, flashes of blood on her hands and standing over her father’s body for some reason.  That couldn’t be right, her father had disappeared long before Evan even showed up.  Yet, for some reason, some part of her brain was screaming at her that Evan wasn’t her first boyfriend and that his death didn’t happen the way she remembered.  Her head beginning to pound from stress and confusion, she was grateful for him grabbing her face and drawing her focus elsewhere.

“Why?  Why save my life over his?  Most other people would have given anything to see me dead,” he whispered, disbelief in his slightly nasally voice as a sneer curled his upper lip.

His growled question gave her pause and she found herself actually thinking about it as much as she didn’t want to.  She knew he was right, she knew anybody else would have allowed the guard to take the shot.  Just thinking about it, reminded her of her earlier revelation in the bank.  A revelation that still scared the shit out of her.  As much as she hated to admit it, she felt affection for this killer.  If she were entirely honest with herself, she had come very close to putting herself in the way of the shot before she had remembered she had a gun.  “I... I don’t know,” she replied, not really wanting to confess to any of these truths.

The make-up wearing villain didn’t seem pleased with this response, a muscle tensing in his cheek as his hazel eyes bored into hers.  “Are ya tryin’ to lie t’me?  Cause it sure as Hell sounded like that was what ya were, uh, doin’,” he gritted out, making a cold wash of fear rush through her.

“N-no it’s just...  I don’t even really want to admit to myself my own reasons...  If I say it out loud...,” her mouth replied before she could stop it, a tense silence stretching between them.

Crane, who was busy cleaning up the vomit, looked up at the pair with an alert gaze.  Joker’s body language spoke of a man on the edge of doing something rather drastic and it frankly frightened him.  With a man like him, there was no telling what he would do under high stress.  To his slight relief, the clown let the discussion go in favor of focusing on the road.  It was clear the discussion wasn’t over but he wasn’t going to explode over it.  In fact, the purple wearing villain seemed more confused than truly angry.  It almost seemed as if the idea of her saving him had completely thrown him for a loop.  He would just have to keep an eye on things and make sure the infamous villain didn’t harm his former doctor.

As soon as the van pulled to a stop outside the looming warehouse, Joker was throwing Marie over a cotton covered shoulder like a sack of meal and made his way out of the vehicle.  “Hey!  I can walk myself and I don’t have any plans to run, as you well know,” the flustered blonde protested, not really fighting as the taller man moved into the building.  The criminal holding her ignored her entirely, merely motioned for his men to get inside as one of his hands moved up to cup her ass.  An action that made an unwanted heat rush through her body.  Then he was heading to the stairs, passing right by Harley; the look on the other female’s face doing more to stop her run away libido than any of her pitiful internal wranglings.  They headed up, the older female’s rage contorted face disappearing as they reached the landing.

Joker practically threw her towards the bed as soon as he entered to room and by some miracle she landed on it, the impact knocking the breath out of her.  Twirling to face the disguised killer, the panting Psychologist felt old fear shoot through her as he closed and locked the door.  The black around his eyes only made his glower more intimidating but, to her shock, he merely began to pace instead of launching himself at her.  “Why did you save me?” he hissed out, an odd edge to his voice that only made her more nervous.

“I... I... fucking Hell...  I didn’t want to see you die!  The thought of seeing you bleeding out on the floor was much more repellent than killing that guard,” she finally blurted, knowing he was only going to get more pissed off if she tried to dodge around it.  Her response seemed to freeze the mass murderer in place, the wheels turning in his head as he processed her words.

“You didn’t want to see me die...,” he repeated softly, his mid tone voice tinged with a bit of wonder.  It almost seemed as if he was further confused by this and he ran a gloved hand through his lime green locks.

She wasn’t even brainwashed and she had saved him, something that Harleen would have never done before he broke her.  The knowledge rocked him to his very core and he found himself seeing the former doctor in an entirely different light.  “Why didn’t you want to see me die,” he growled out, his eyes rolling to fix on her.  His green clad chest heaved as his hands twitched by his side, confusing feelings rising up within him.  He had initially brought her here in the hopes of eventually turning her into an improved version of Harley, now, now he was beginning to wonder if he should leave her as she was.

His question caught her off guard and Marie swallowed thickly as Jasper cautiously crawled out from under the bed to see what the hubbub was about.  “I... I have begun to gain some amount of affection for you,” she confessed quietly, hating the words for how true they were.  She knew nothing about this man except that he was violently insane and enjoyed killing people.  He was unpredictable and had attacked her a couple occassions.  Yet, despite all of that, she felt oddly safe with him.  A man like him could have killed her twenty times over without blinking and yet he had chosen to ‘save’ her from her boyfriend.  There was also the fact that he didn’t look all that bad and, besides the times in the asylum, he hadn’t raised a hand to hurt her.

Joker went oddly still as his vibrant eyes stayed locked on her gray ones, almost seeming to mull over the information.  Then he was closing the distance, his leather covered hands cupping her face as his intense orbs burned into her.  It was almost as if he was searching her for a lie and was finding nothing.  “Affection...  How could you have affection for me?  You’ve seen what I’ve done, heard about what happened to Harleen.  I haven’t even begun to get in your head yet and you have affection for me?!”  the taller man snarled, confused fury in his voice.  Just hearing that confirmed some of her suspicions for why she was here but before she could respond, his lips were crashing down on hers violently as his purple clad fingers dug into her white flesh.

The kiss was all teeth and aggression, almost as if he was punishing her in some way for daring to have feelings for him.  Yet, under that anger, there was the very faintest thread of tenderness.  A thread so faint that Marie merely chalked it up to wishful thinking as she found herself at a loss for how to respond to the assault.  Of their own accord, her hands came up to tangle in his slightly greasy hair as her head angled to deepen and return the embrace.  Joker froze for just a second before his lips softened and the kiss changed gears to something else entirely.  Just as their tongues met, the lithe male was ripping himself from her; his expression shifting from rage to utter confusion and back again.

Then he was leaving, slamming the door behind him and scaring her overweight pet back under the bed.  Her fingertips touched her lips lightly as her brain replayed both the kiss and his words.  She wasn’t all that surprised that he had wanted to make her into Harley 2.0, what she was surprised by was the fact he had openly told her.  There was also the fact that her organic feelings for him had seemed to completely throw the villain off balance.  It almost seemed as if he didn’t expect anyone that wasn’t brainwashed to want to save his life, a fact that shockingly saddened her.  Even Crane had a similar problem, being very reluctant to believe she wanted nothing more than his trust and friendship for a large part of his treatment with her.  She wasn’t silly enough to believe friendship or love could change these people but she did believe it could help with a lot of their more violent tendencies.

A quiet knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she beckoned her visitor to come in, praying it was just Jonathan.  She doubted Harley would be dumb enough to be back up here after the altercation with both Crane and Joker but she couldn’t really put anything past the crazed female.  Thankfully the familiar, gaunt face of her former patient came around the door.  “Doctor Jovian..,” he began, stopping when she held a hand in the air for his silence.

“Marie please,” she corrected as he came in and shut the door behind himself.

“Marie, you need to discuss what happened with that guard with me,” urged the former Psychiatrist as he sat on the bed beside her.  The blonde could only chuckle, knowing he was right.  Being a Psychologist, she knew full well what could happen if she didn’t discuss this traumatic event with someone.  It would fester inside her and form into a disorder and even she had to admit she was taking this a little too well.

“Alright Dr. Crane,” she teased, giggling at the playful frown he gave her.  Then she began to talk, the odd therapy session extending long into the night.


	15. Storm Brewing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I just wanted to say, once again, that I am flattered by how much you guys are enjoying this fic. It’s nice to know you are having a lot of fun reading my hard work! *hugs*

A bloody knife held in a shaky grip.  Anguished cries as life ebbs from two pairs of eyes, one young while the other is old.  He had been trying to protect her and her father had stabbed him.  Daddy had stabbed George!  She had to!  She had to!  Oh God her mother was screaming and she could feel her world tilting and shifting before her.  All this blended into a harsh shaking sensation and she became aware of screams leaving her mouth.  “Mommy I didn’t mean to!  Mommy I’m sorry!” called a grown-up voice twisted into the guise of a child’s voice.

“Marie!” called a voice from very far away, sounding muffled by either water or cotton.  Then she was being jostled as she found herself back in reality with a sickening jolt.

“George,” she gasped out in a tear filled, lost voice as she became aware of a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her body.

“Shh, shh,” soothed a very familiar, groggy sounding male voice in her ear.  Her heart still raced in her ears as she turned her head to see the make-up smeared face of Joker.  The mass murderer’s hazel gaze held frustration with just a touch of sympathy.  His bare hands were under her pajama shirt, resting on her skin as they moved languidly; the soothing movements a sharp contrast to the expression on his painted visage.

“I killed my father,” came out of her before she could stop it, the nightmare feeling more real than what she knew to be true.  Her father had disappeared when she was very young, a relief to both her, her sister and her mother.  The man had been scum during both of their tween years, turning into a borderline molester that only stopped short of having sex with the two sisters.  Then he had simply disappeared one day, her mother never telling her what had happened.

“Keep talking.  Try to remember,” urged a nasally voice as a dim light clicked on and temporarily blinded her.

“He was hurting me and George heard me screaming for help.  He started to beat up daddy and daddy shoved him away.  Then he grabbed his hunting knife and stabbed George.  My sweet George screamed and screamed but daddy wouldn’t stop.  I had to!  I had to!  Blood!  So much blood!  Mommy I didn’t mean to!” she replied in a childish voice, her grey eyes wide and unfocused as she relived the confusing terror inside her head.  Some part of her brain was aware of what she was doing and who she was with but she had no control, it was as if the child she had once been had taken over entirely.  She was feeling so much terror that she even began to wonder if she was experiencing repressed memories.  Could her confused, jumbled nightmares hold more truth than she gave them credit for?

“Who’s George?  How did ‘daddy’ hurt you?  What did you do Marie?” Joker rasped, sounding much more awake as he shifted into a slightly upright position and pulled her against him.

“Daddy always hurt me.  Touched me in bad places.  George was a friend, more like a brother.  He came over to visit and heard me calling for help.  When daddy started hurting George, I... I... don’t know what happened.  Next thing I knew I was holding a knife and there was blood.  And mommy was screaming,” the shaken female whispered, slowly coming back to lucidity.  As the words left her mouth, the memories came flooding back in a rush and she let out a strangled noise as she struggled to free herself from the criminal’s arms.

She saw flashes of the butcher knife she had held plunging down into her father’s back over and over, blood arcing up every time it pulled back.  She could hear his screams as well as her own.  Under all the chaos, she could also hear George’s fading voice pleading for her to stop.  Then there was shaking and she came back to reality with a snap, hearing her voice whispering ‘no’ again and again.  She didn’t want to remember this!  She didn’t want to know any of this!  Releasing an anguished cry, Marie gripped her sandy haired head in her hands in an effort to stop the flashes, the screaming inside her mind.  “Marie!” came a sharp, commanding voice, then she felt a harsh slap and everything halted.

Silence, blessed silence.  Her gray eyes still wide, Maire panted heavily as she covered the stinging spot on her cheek.  “Thanks...,” the shaken Psychologist whispered, still feeling a bit muddled from all that had happened.

“Now, tell me exactly what you just remembered,” the clown urged, his hands landing on her shoulders to prevent any attempt at escape.  A strange light shone in his hazel eyes as he stared at her expectantly.

“My father... my father molested me and my sister a lot as children.  He... he never had sex with us but he came very close many times.  It was a nice summer day and I thought dad had left to go fishing with his buddies.  I thought it was safe to come downstairs and color,” she began, unsure of why she was telling him this but unable to stop herself.  Joker only tensed, the expression on his face becoming as serious as a heart attack.

“I never even knew he was there until I felt his hand go up my dress.  He started to... and I started to struggle.  I called for help and my best friend heard it.  He had come over to visit and was outside when things started to happen.  He came charging in and jumped on top of my father to get him off me.  Dad knocked a twelve year old boy to the ground.  Then he took out a hunting knife he wore on his belt and began to stab George,” she whispered, her voice sounding distant; almost as if she was trying to disconnect from this memory.

“I couldn’t stop to think.  I just grabbed a knife from the kitchen and started stabbing, screaming for him to stop hurting George.  I could hear my best friend pleading for me to stop with his last breaths,” she finished, tears streaking down her ashen cheeks as she began to shake heavily.

To her utter shock, the mass murderer was tugging her into a tight hug; harsh exhalations leaving through his nose.  “Sounds like you reclaimed a memory,” he hissed in a tense voice, everything in his body language screaming with violence.  If she didn’t know any better, she could swear her story had triggered him in some way.

“Wh-what are you doing in here?” she found herself asking, despite the terror and confusion still swirling within her head.  She was still distressed and highly confused but not so muddled that she didn’t remember he had never come up here to sleep before.

Her response seemed to amuse the clown as he gave a terse chuckle in her ear.  Then he was pulling back to give her a slightly amused look.  “This  _ is _ my room you know,” he reminded her, a slight smirk on his painted face despite his serious expression.

“Well, I know that.  It’s just that you’ve never slept here before,” Marie replied, using their current conversation to distract herself from the horrifying memories still playing through her mind.  She could smell the blood and hear the screams as if they were happening right that moment, making her almost feel like she was going to go mad.

The look on his disguised visage was half amused and half infuriated but that fury was nowhere near directed at her.  “Crane was worried about you having nightmares if you were in here alone.  I came in here to, uh, keep ya company,” he responded, his verdant eyes searching hers for something.

“Ya seem to be handling the fact that you murdered your father rather well as well as the fact that you recovered a repressed memory,” he remarked in a quiet voice, his lips pursed as his orbs continued to search her for something.  It was almost as if her lack of reaction had worried him greatly.

Marie could only stare at the ‘Clown Prince’, at a loss for how to explain that one.  She could only chalk her outward calm to years of wearing a professional mask around her patients.  Yet it went beyond that.  The only thing that truly bothered her wasn’t the fact that she had killed her own father but that she had to relive her best friend’s death as well as her mother’s deep distress.  She could easily use the excuse that the man had molested her as an easy excuse for her feelings but that didn’t excuse all of it.  “I... I don’t feel much regret for killing him.  What was traumatizing was seeing someone so important to me to die, let alone hearing my mom screaming,” she replied quietly, perplexed at herself.  What kind of person was she really?  Could this mean her memories about Evan and his death were also false?

Joker only stared at her, looking just as confused as she was.  “Ya just keep surprising me Doc.  I wonder what else lurks in that pretty head of yours,” he rasped, poking her forehead a bit too hard to be playful.

“I... I don’t know,” the blonde replied in a lost voice, feeling her heart constrict in her chest painfully.  The criminal beside her shifted some more before he draped a bare arm around her and pulled her against his side as he laid on his back.  It was at that moment she became aware of something very important, the man was naked from the waist up.

Blushing, Marie did her best to shove away from the half naked killer; only to have him tighten his arm.  “My sister was molested too,” he whispered softly after a few moments of silence, drawing her shocked, stormy gaze.

“My father was a good man until he started drinking.  He started off being a little too affectionate but it quickly escalated to much worse.  One night, when I tried to stop him from raping her again, he decided to give me these as punishment,” he continued, his hazel eyes gaining a far away look as his scarred lips pursed.  His bare fingers dug harshly into the skin of her upper arm but the trapped Psychologist didn’t dare make a sound lest she turn his anger to her.  What he was revealing to her had no doubt been traumatizing as well as extremely personal, there was no telling what he would do if he decided he had told her far too much.

“He left me bleeding in the kitchen.  My mom had left long before then but didn’t bother to take us with her.  I’ve never forgiven her for that.  It was my sister who called 9-11.  When I awoke, my father was there.  He told me my sister killed herself and that it was my fault but I knew the truth.  Trish couldn’t live with the guilt of what happened.  She would always see it as her fault that I got permanently disfigured.  The first night I got home from the hospital, I killed my father.  Slit his fucking throat and watched his blood drain out of his body.  I was fourteen,” he finished, his voice no more than a gruff growl as his muscles twitched with restrained violence.

To her surprise, the murderer didn’t explode like she expected.  Instead they laid there in silence, his callused hand roving over the bare skin of her arm as the anger slowly bled out of him.  “Why did you tell me that?  What happened after your father died?” Marie asked in a timid voice, her neck beginning to get tired from looking up at the man next to her.  She couldn’t lay down or get comfortable without fear of laying her cheek on his surprisingly well muscled pecs.  He wasn’t buff by any means but he was lightly toned, as if he had done just enough to build up his strength.

“Did you forget our little deal already Doc?  Gotta tell ya, I’m surprised our time together didn’t leave much of an, uh, impression.  As for what happened, let’s leave that for another time,” he murmured in a roughened voice, his eyes staring at the far wall as his hand moved from her arm to the back of her head and began to push down.

Not really having the strength to fight him, the sandy haired femme laid her milky cheek on his slightly warm chest.  At first she was confused about what he was talking about, then the realization smacked into her head like a brick.  He was talking about the exchange of information they had going back in Arkham.  Why?  What was the purpose?  The main reason for doing it, to build trust between them to make him easier to deal with, was no longer existent.  “Wh-why are you honoring that deal still?  You’re no longer in Arkham and I’m now aware of you wanting to make me into Harley 2.0,” the blonde whispered.

Joker stiffened at her response, the hand on her head tensing for a moment before moving down to rest on her back once more.  “I do believe you already gave the reason for this exercise but I guess I’ll, uh, remind you.  I believe you said you wanted to build trust,” he replied, his voice a tad gruff.  The look on her face in response must have been priceless because the killer burst into a brief fit of his empty laughter.

“But that makes no sense whatsoever!  You said just yesterday that you wanted to brainwash me, now you’re acting as if none of that had ever happened.  None of what you’re doing makes any sense!” the former doctor responded a bit more heatedly than was probably wise.

To her surprise, the criminal holding her only laughed harder; the sound causing chills to run up and down her spine.  “Oh you’re going to be a lot of fun!” he cackled, using his free hand to wipe away the tears streaming down his make-up coated cheeks.  His laughter slowly tapered off as Marie could only give him a deeply confused look before yawning loudly.  It was still late and her body was exhausted from everything that had happened.  Soon she found herself drifting off to sleep, the feel of his hand moving over her back lulling her.  She was so tired that she nestled into Joker’s pale chest, forgetting who she was with for the time being.  It wasn’t too long before the ex-Psychologist was fast asleep, effectively using the killer as a pillow.

The scarred male could only stare at his former ‘doctor’, a strange look on his decorated visage.  The fact that she was sleeping as if he wouldn’t harm her threw him severely off balance.  The longer she was around, the more he was sure he wasn’t going to go through with his original plans.  Not to mention the similarities in their pasts.  Heaving a sigh, the villain simply closed his own eyes and allowed Marie’s scent to lull him back to sleep.  For once in his life, he slept deeply.

Harley paced the room she had been given with a scowl on her make-up coated face.  Mistah J was upstairs with that... that hussy!  First he was letting her sleep in his room, now he was up there with her and was doing Lord knows what with the slut.  Snarling, the spandex wearing female grabbed her favorite gun, a rifle she had painted with red and white hearts and had named Reginald, the blonde stormed out of the warehouse and into the streets.  Right now she felt a powerful need to kill something and if she wasn’t careful that something would more than likely be the bitch her companion called Marie.  In her rush to get out, she never noticed Jonathan watching her closely.

Heels clicked on the concrete as the female jester stormed down the winding alleys of Gotham.  Her jaw was set and her blue eyes were full of fury as her belled cap jingled quietly.  She never noticed she was being followed until a hand settled over her mouth and a muscled arm wrapped around her thin waist.  “I know you’re with Joker.  Tell me where he is so I can rescue my girlfriend,” hissed a gruff voice in her ear.  Of course, Harley reacted before she could process what he had said; stomping the hard heel of her shoe into his foot and biting his hand at the same time.  Her attacker released her with a heated curse, allowing the blonde to put some distance between them as she leveled her rifle at his chest.

Both of them froze, the hulking silhouette seeming to be staring at her.  “Rescue your girlfriend?  Are you talking about that woman that Mistah J brought in?” the suspicious criminal hissed, wrapping a finger around Reginald’s trigger.  The much taller, more muscular man only sighed before giving a nod.

“He left this card,” the shadowed man murmured, bringing out what looked like a playing card.

“Come forward enough for me to see you,” Harley demanded, narrowing her cerulean eyes.  Her possible partner came forward, revealing a bulky, built male that looked like he had been in the army.  His eyes held the far-away look that most soldiers had and told her everything she needed to know.  His blue eyes were narrowed and held a steely edge as he presented her with a ‘Joker’ card.

All at once, she realized that the answer to all her problems was standing right in front of her.  She just had to play her cards right and make sure the big moose wouldn’t hurt her lover.  She was sure that once the intruder was gone, everything would go back to normal.  “I’ll help you as long as you’re willing to do things my way.  I don’t want my puddin’ gettin’ hurt.  If ya can give me some time, I might be able to lure her out of the building,” she offered, slowly lowering her weapon.

“Fine, but if he’s hurt her I’ll make sure your ‘Puddin’’ suffers immeasurably,” the dark haired man snarled before turning and leaving.  Harley watched him until he was out of sight, then simply continued on her way.  As she walked, she brainstormed ways to quickly gain the whore’s trust.

Crane had been preparing a few of his gas canisters when the black and red clad female came back splattered in blood.  Despite seeing proof that she had only been blowing off steam, the former Psychiatrist found himself suspicious of the bright smile on his face.  ‘Scarecrow’ rose up like a black cloud in the back of his mind but for once the two of them were in agreement.  Harleen would have to be watched closely.  Taking a deep breath to keep his more violent side at bay, Jonathan turned back to his work as if he had never seen her.  From now on, he would be like her shadow.


	16. Getting Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I am endlessly blown away by how much praise this little fic has been getting. Never expected a Joker/OC fic to take off so much to be honest! Thanks so much, all of you!

Something big was happening, Marie could tell that by the flurry of activity from both Jonathan and Joker.  The gaunt chemist was busy filling canisters and attaching them to what seemed to helium balloons.  All of a sudden she got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  From the looks of it, they would be crashing a pretty big party.  “Bon Jovi!  I’m so glad to see you awake!  We’re going to a big event and I need ya ta get all, uh, dolled up for me!  Put on that purple suit of yours as well as some make-up,” Joker called from the area in front of the TV before going back to talking with a large group of thugs.  Another group of thugs was being led led by Harley, who was dressed like a strange hybrid of a jester and a ring leader.  A tiny top hat graced her blonde head and a too small, glittering, purple waistcoat with curled tails adorned her torso.  In her right hand she carried a whip and in her left she carried a hoop.  The men that trailed behind her were dressed like various species of dogs and hopped awkwardly on their back legs just like a quadruped would.

Taking a closer look, Marie noticed the dog heads they wore were just a tad too big and wobbled slightly on their heads.  They appeared to be made out of shoddy, worn fur that was ripped or burned in some spots.  Torn, stained tutus graced their overweight bodies as they hopped after their ‘master’, sometimes turning a circle as they jumped.  Some of them even yipped or barked, their pink collars jingling merrily as they went.  Shuddering at the unnerving sight, the former Psychologist made her way back upstairs to do as the ‘Clown Prince’ had asked.

She was just putting the finishing touches on her face paint when ‘Scarecrow’ came bursting into her room.  Upon closer inspection, the stitched mask looked less like burlap and more like a strange flesh; almost as if it was alive in a way.  The sewn on, jagged grin, and diamond shaped eyeholes didn’t help the terrifying appearance and she was barely able to suppress a horrified shudder.  She had never gotten such a good look at Crane’s other half in the light before and she had to fight her natural inclination to run far away.  Like before, this thing in front of her no longer seemed like her friend, more like something dark was walking in his body.  A thing that had the barest rudimentary understanding of how to act like a human being.

His glittering, dead, now pitch black eyes centered on her; raspy pants rattling from deep in his bony chest as he swayed in place.  “Are... afffraaaaaaaid,” the thing hissed quietly, almost accusingly.  Then it inhaled deeply, something in its chest gurgling as it did so.

“Not run...  not screeeeaaaaaam,” the thing wearing Jonathan’s skin gasped, its voice turning into an unholy cry that made her skin crawl on the last word.

“What are you?” came out of her mouth before she could stop it and silence stretched between the pair as ‘Scarecrow’ seemed to ponder her words.

“Was paaaart of Crane, yesssss.  Became... morrre,” it rasped, slowly coming into the room but leaving the door open behind it.

“Was something else too before.... no memory...,” it sighed, seeming to study her like a wary animal would.  Then it was reaching a twitching hand toward her, lightly brushing at a strand of her sandy hair with a strange look in its barely visible eyes.  For just a moment, she could see a bit of Jonathan in there but it was soon swallowed up by the insanity and darkness of ‘Scarecrow’.

“You still... trust... even outside...,” whispered a rather dual sounding voice from his lips before he enveloped her in a tight hug.

Marie could only stand there with her hands hovering awkwardly over her former patient’s back, a very confused look on her disguised face.  Before she could even ask, the former doctor began to shake violently as a ragged sob left him.  Then he was slipping to his knees, taking her with him as he began to cry in earnest.  “J-jonathan?” the former Psychologist asked in alarm, finally giving him a comforting hug.

“Y-you... even after... and you’re...,” he sobbed, making absolutely no sense to the baffled female.

“You have to try to slow down!  You’re not making any sense,” she whispered, doing her best to offer comfort despite how truly afraid she was of the thin man.  To her shock, he only moved long enough to rip his mask from his face, his entire demeanor and posture changing instantly.  His now blue eyes searched her own gray ones for something before he simply collapsed into the hug and continued to cry openly.

“Nobody...  nobody trusted me after they found out about my... hobbies.  Soon nobody wanted to even be around me, not even my mother.  I was lonely so I started talking to myself and ended up making an imaginary friend.  A friend who ended up being so much more than what I first thought.  I thought I would always be alone, only  _ his _ raving, hate filled voice to keep me company.  To finally have someone, anyone trust me after years of being alone...,” he rasped, clinging to her as if afraid she would try to run away from him.  Marie could only give him a stunned look before tightening her hold on him.  Despite her calm appearance, she was seething with rage for the broken man in her arms.

Before she could ask what brought this on, Joker was coming in.  “What’s the hold...  Aw Christ.  What the fuck is with everyone?  Crane, get Scarecrow back in charge and get downstairs!  We don’t have time for this,” the criminal snarled, impatience clear in his green eyes.

Jonathan only nodded in response, giving Marie one last squeeze before straightening.  “You’re right.  Just, keep an eye on her,” the ex-Psychiatrist husked out, his voice changing before he even began heading to where the mask had landed.  Jasper watched the proceedings from his spot under the bed, looking slightly offended at all the interruptions to his sacred nap time.

“She’s gonna be right by my side!  After all, every magician needs a lovely assistant,” the scarred male chuckled, his dead eyes fixing on her as a frightening smile curled his ruby lips.

‘Scarecrow’ only narrowed Crane’s now black eyes as he pulled on his hand stitched mask.  Then the unpredictable being was shambling his way out, leaving the similarly dressed pair alone.  “Ready for your big debut darling?” the villain cooed, bouncing on the toes of his shined shoes like an excited child.  His purple gloved hands were pressed together tightly in front of him as his grin turned to all teeth.

“Dare I ask what we’re doing,” sighed the resigned female as she brushed her purple suit pants with a purple nailed hand.

“Ah ta ta ta ta, that would ruin the surprise!” he chirped before bowing at the waist and offering her his hand with a flourish.  His hazel eyes glittered with dark humor as he gave her an expectant smile.

“Shall we?” purred his slightly nasally voice, his dyed, curly locks hanging slightly in his left eye.  Marie took a deep breath before placing her hand in his, a grimace marring her painted on smile.  She knew it was no small matter for him to take her with him on something this big.  This would be a huge show of trust on his part and if she did anything to fuck up...  Just thinking about it made her blood run cold with terror.

His leather covered fingers closed slowly around her hand before he gave the appendage a light tug.  Making sure her eyes were meeting his, the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ pressed an almost gentle kiss to the top of her hand.  “Ya know, ya need a name.  Can’t exactly call ya Marie or Bon Jovi on the job...  Hmmm.  I think I’ll have ta call ya Spade for now,” he declared before tugging her out of his room and down the metal stairs.  The scene that greeted them would have been comical if not for the fact they were probably going to kill a lot of people.

“Scarecrow!  You got the ‘Special Floats’!” Joker called to the twisted thing attaching canisters to clusters of balloons.  The masked male gave a curt nod, making a vague gesture to an unexplored back area of the warehouse.   Nodding back, the tux wearing killer unleashed a gale of his bone chilling laughter as he lead Marie to a jauntily painted van outside.

“Ladies and gentlemen!  Boys and girls of all ages!  I proudly present to you, Gotham’s Circus!” called the jolly ringmaster, his fake mustache shining as he raised his whip in the spotlight.  The crowded tent filled with cheers as the top hat wearing man grinned for them.  Then there was a sudden booming noise, followed by a thick, purple smoke that rapidly obscured the huge center.  The crowd got a brief glimpse of the introducer’s shocked face before he simply disappeared.  Disquiet soon followed as people in the crowd began to question whether or not this was supposed to be happening.  A burst of distorted calliope music began as two spotlights blinked on to shine through the rapidly dissipating fog.

“We apologize for this imposter,” tittered a slightly ditzy voice as a vaguely female silhouette began to appear.  The crowd released a collective sigh of relief, settling as they decided it was all part of the show.  They even cheered at their new, red and black dressed, female ringmaster.

“Now without any further ado, let the show begin!” she called into a megaphone that had a Joker-like grin painted on the sides of it.  Then she was swinging the whip down with a loud crack, seeming to summon the large group of goons that was dressed as dogs.  As the fully grown, overweight and often hairy men cavorted around the center ring like canines, the crowd seemed to grow uneasy with the display.  Most of them didn’t seem to know whether to respond with disgust or horror.  Uneasy applause accompanied the strange performance, only stopping when one of the costumed men tackled another to the ground and began to hump his hapless victim.

“No, no bad doggies,” the pigtailed woman cackled, cracking her whip to separate the two.

Marie watched the display with a look of outright disgust on her make-up coated face.  “Looks like the boys are having fun.  Come on, we’re after the clowns,” Joker urged from her left, a hand settling on the corresponding shoulder to spin her around and usher her towards a large rolling platform.  Looming above it was a huge, tuxedo wearing, cartoon clown that shared a strange likeness with the murderer leading her into place.

“Watch me and do as I do,” he urged, shoving an odd metal mouth cover that had valves sticking out of it into her hand.  Then he was wrapping an arm around her waist and jerking her against him, his entire body seeming to vibrate with excitement.

“They’ll be talking about this one for years to come, let me tell ya,” he assured, his hazel eyes holding a dark joy for the first time she had met him.  Just seeing that made her stomach fill with a touch of nausea.  She had always known just what kind of man he was in the back of her mind but to see him actually take pleasure in the prospect of death, it chilled her.

A flurry of movement drew her attention to the group of henchmen dressed as clowns.  They were being led by a red nose wearing ‘Scarecrow’.  Seeing such a jaunty item on the terrible mask was horribly out of place and she felt her skin crawl at the sight of it.  Tearing her eyes away from her former patient, the blonde noticed each clown held a cluster of balloons; each cluster carrying its own canister.  All at once she realized what they were going to do and she felt a chill of fear wash over her from the feet up.  A lot of people were going to end up insane or dead and she would have to aid in that.  Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Marie prepared to go against all the morals she ever had.

The speechless audience watched silently as the dogs filed back into the rear, leaving only Harley standing on the raised platform in the center ring.  “Weren’t our puppies just awesome!  Now onto our next attraction!  Our friendly clowns will begin passing out balloons.  Everyone in the crowd please take one!  There’s a special surprise coming that requires everyone to have a bundle,” she announced, cracking her whip to summon a huge crowd of clowns.  The large, multi-colored group split around the podium the odd ringmaster stood on, dispersing into the crowd from there.  Soon the mask wearing men were handing out bunches of balloons, sometimes outright forcing them into hands.  Once everyone in the crowd had their own bunch, Harley snapped her whip again; summoning another large group of men dressed as elephants.

The men appeared to be chained to eachother like a twisted sled team and were pulling a large, rolling platform.  On the platform was a similarly dressed pair, the taller part of the duo appearing to be holding a loudspeaker.  “I hope you have enjoyed the show so far!  It is now time for our final event of the night,” came a voice that caused a collective shudder to run through the uneasy crowd.  Murmurs of a dreaded name rippled throughout the crowd and people slowly began to panic.  Unfortunately for them, the clowns in the stands also had guns.  They easily made sure no one got any bright ideas about making a break for it or releasing their balloons.

One of the spotlights was turned toward the pair on the platform as it was brought into the center and halted.  In the center of the platform was Joker and a female mirror of him with the exception of the hair.  She wore white facepaint and a painted on, bright red grin that reached to her ears.  The black around her eyes gave them a wide, almost scared look but she made no move to escape.  “This is my partner Spade and boy do we have a finale for you.  Matter of fact the whole of Gotham!  This lovely little balloon over my head is filled with Smilex gas and those lovely ones you hold in your hands have a canister of Fear Gas courtesy of Scarecrow.  I’ve always been curious about what the two would do if they mixed,” crooned the infamous madman, raising a remote up in the air with his free hand.

The green haired villain waggled the purple device in his hand a few times before tossing it to his assistant.  “And with this being an open tent, some of the fumes are bound to escape into the city.  Masks everyone!” he called, causing a flurry of movement as all the thugs put their mouth covers on.  Then he was turning to the stunned looking woman to his left.  She only nodded before placing her own mask on her face.  Joker only cackled wildly, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her against him.

“It’s been a real blast,” the crazed male laughed, placing a cover over his own mouth.  The female beside him took that as her cue and pressed the button, flooding the cloth tent with a mixture of horrifying fumes.

In the midst of the chaos, Joker dragged Marie out of the tent while cackling wildly; followed closely by a flood of his goons, Harley and Scarecrow.  Said female had a murderous look in her eyes as she took note of the way her lover held the other woman’s hand.  “Do not even think about touching her,” came a brief snarl by her ear, drawing her attention to the fleeing back of Scarecrow.

“I might not have to,” she hissed as soon as the former doctor was out of hearing range, her eyes narrowed in rage.

The entire hideout burst into noisy celebration, reveling in the fact that the event had gone off without so much as a peep of Batman.  With all the clues left behind, it wouldn’t be hard for the vigilante to figure out who was responsible; a fact that only seemed to make Joker more euphoric.  The only good thing about the raucous noise in the large living area was the fact that it made it very easy for Marie to sneak away.  Visions of the gas leaking out of the tent as they sped away still filled her head and she let herself into Joker’s room, locking the door behind her.  “Jesus Christ...  What on Earth is that shit going to do to people,” she whispered in a shaky voice, running a hand through her straw colored hair.  Yet her distress didn’t feel quite genuine, it almost felt as if she was acting this way because she felt she had to; a fact that only added to her stress.

“What the fuck is happening to me?” she hissed, running to the bathroom that was attached to the room to wash the make-up off.

She shut the door behind her with a slam, turning on the hot water full blast.  As her wide eyes watched the steam rise, she found herself examining her actual feelings; as much as she didn’t want to.  The only ones she truly felt badly for were the children and even then it was only vaguely.  To be honest, all those people were just a mass of faceless strangers.  She hadn’t met any of them, hadn’t known them.  What bothered her most was the possibility of her, Joker or Crane getting accidentally poisoned by the gas floating through the air currents.  Feeling sick at herself, Marie began to viciously wash her face with a rough washcloth; not noticing the door opening behind her.

All of a sudden the sound of water running stopped and she looked up in the mirror to see the slightly angry face of Joker right behind her.  “You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that.  Care to explain what all this is about?  Are you maybe feeling guilty for participating in tonight,” he snarled in a venomous voice, twirling around to glare down at her make-up smeared visage.

“No, that’s the problem!  I don’t feel guilty!  I don’t feel anything for those people!  My only worry is for me, you and Crane with that gas lingering in the city air,” the shaking woman whispered, her eyes full of self loathing.  The killer could only blink at her, his grip slowly loosening as the rage left his painted visage.

“What?” he whispered in a shocked voice, his hands falling to his sides and allowing her to spin away from him.

“You heard me.  I don’t even feel that bad about the children.  What kind of monster am I?  Was I like this before you and Jonathan ‘kidnapped’ me?  The longer I’m here, the more I find out about myself and I can’t say I like what I’m finding,” she whispered in a small, scared voice as she turned on the faucets with shaky hands.  It was at a much more reasonable temperature and she resumed washing the make-up off, as well as some tears.

She had barely finished when the murderer behind her spun her once more, a slight frown on his disguised face.  His hazel orbs searched her gray ones for long silent moments as the weary, fragile feeling woman tried to hold herself together.  Tonight had shown her that she wasn’t the person she thought she was and it disturbed her.  “You really don’t feel guilty about what happened...” he stated breathlessly; a brief emotion flashing through his eyes before he was grabbing her face in a tight, almost painful grip.

“No...,” Marie whispered, only having a split second before his lips met hers hungrily.  One of the hands on her face moved to painfully grip her dirty blonde locks while he kissed her almost violently.  Teeth scraped against tender lips as faint growls left the killer.

Then, as soon as it started, it stopped.  He pulled away slowly, sucking on her bottom lip as he released another deep, throaty noise.  His entire body shuddered as he fixed his eyes with hers, harsh breaths leaving him as his chest heaved.  Then he was taking a deep breath, closing his black ringed eyes and running a leather covered hand through his slightly damp hair.  His ruby lips pursed as he almost seemed to mull something over in his head.  Then he was nodding before ushering her out of the bathroom.  “Get some rest.  I’ll be back up later,” whispered his mid tone voice, his verdant gaze promising something as he left the room.  Marie could only stare after him, torn between disgust with herself and apprehension for what was to come.

“Jas, I think we’re in for a long night,” the exhausted woman sighed before beginning to change into a pair of comfortable pajamas.  From the looks of him before he left, Joker wanted to do more than just talk; a prospect that made her core tingle despite herself.


	17. Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Hmmm... What clues to give... Well, this chapter should be interesting!

Marie hid while the criminals downstairs continued to celebrate, her overweight tuxedo cat in her lap.  Jasper had ventured out after things had quieted down, seeming to sense that the blonde needed him.  Grateful for his presence, the distraught female sighed as she scratched one of his triangular ears.  What had happened at the circus, her reaction to it, still bothered her.  All of her horror and distress for the sake of the people hurt by the attack seemed disturbingly artificial to her, making her wonder what kind of person she really was.  Until tonight, she thought she was a decent person with good morals.  Now she was no longer sure and she took a good long look at herself.  “Who am I really,” she whispered, shaken by everything that had happened.

“First it was a repressed memory, now this.  Is there anything else about myself I don’t know,” she murmured, leaning down to bury her face in her pet’s soft fur; relishing the small comfort his soft purrs gave her.

The sound of the door opening startled the former doctor badly and her head shot up to see Joker entering the room, the same thoughtful expression on his face from earlier as he shut the door behind him and locked it.  Just hearing that latch click made her heart leap in her throat and she took a deep breath to calm herself.  If the man wanted her dead, he would have killed her long ago; not treated her like a guest.  His dead eyes still fixed on her, the criminal slowly walked forward; removing his purple tuxedo coat as he went.  Under the coat was a green, silk vest and under that was a light blue, silk shirt.  His gloved hands slowly loosened his purple tie, laying the articles of clothing over the back of a chair.  “Did you want something?” the former doctor asked, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

“Yes, there’s something I would, uh, like very much actually,” he responded quietly, delicately removing his gloves and placing them over his tux coat.

Just hearing his response made Marie’s heart leap into her throat.  “What would that be?” she whispered, Jasper merely opening his eyes to see who had come into the room.  Joker merely smirked at her, as if saying she should know exactly what he wanted.  Keeping his hazel eyes fixed on her, the green haired criminal also removed his vest; placing it carefully on the back of the chair with the rest of the items.

“Joker..,” she began, licking her dry lips as her heart galloped in her chest.  With the way he was looking at her, she had a pretty good suspicion of what he wanted and she didn’t think she was up for any of it.  Her mind was still full of questions and it didn’t help that she was only wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of sleeping pants, making her feel rather vulnerable around the taller male.

Said murderer only chuckled, rolling his hazel eyes as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt before pulling it free of his pants.  “Let’s just see where this goes,” he purred, the scars on his cheeks turning his smirk into a lascivious grin.  His nimble fingers moved to the collar of his shirt, undoing the buttons deftly to expose himself slowly to his view.  At the first glimpse of his pale skin, Marie felt a helpless pulse of want ripple through her; only making her feel more upset with herself.  She should be feeling guilty, not aroused!  Licking her dry lips, the former psychologist turned her attention to her cat in the hopes of stopping her reaction.

“I don’t... I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she whispered, her heart beating hard in her chest.  Despite her words, her skin almost tingled in anticipation.  Yet, under all of her conflicted feelings, she couldn’t help but feel that all her self disgust and hatred was merely another mask.

“Well I do.  I’ve never met anyone like you before.  Even Harley had to be broken before she felt nothing about the deaths of innocent people.  Even I can tell the disgust you have in yourself is a mere mask.  Why fight it?  You obviously enjoyed today in some manner,” he whispered, pulling off his shirt and folding it neatly before placing it on his other articles of clothing.

That made her head shoot up as she gave him a slightly indignant look.  “I wouldn’t go so far as to say I enjoyed it!” she hissed, her gray eyes sparkling with a slight bit of anger as Jasper stretched lazily on her lap.  It was times like this she wished she had a Rottweiler or something.  At least a dog could be trained to attack on command.

“But ya can definitely say you didn’t feel guilty about it,” he retorted with a smirk, jerking his head to the left and cracking his neck loudly.  He had her there and she found herself regretting her confessions earlier.  Then he was moving toward her slowly, a strange look in his verdant eyes.

“Ya don’t have to hold onto what civilization expects you to feel.  It’s perfectly natural not to care that much about the fate of strangers,” the killer purred, smirking when her gaze wandered from his face down to his lightly defined pecs.

“But to participate in killing a large group of people, mostly women and children...  Let alone the fact the gas is going to linger in the air for a long time.  What effects could this have?  I’m supposed to feel guilty or like a horrible person.  The only thing I feel is confusion why I don’t,” the frustrated woman snarled, grabbing her head and fisting her hands in her sandy hair as she closed her eyes.

“Stop that.  Stop hanging onto what society expects of you.  Let go, let yourself actually feel.  Why cling onto what makes you miserable,” whispered his mid-tone voice from much closer.  Then there was a hand on her chin, forcing her to look up at the clown towering above her.  His hazel eyes almost seemed to bore into her soul, drawing a shaky gasp from her lips.

“But... what will I become if I let go of social constructs?  Should I become like you?” she whispered, the thought of actually enjoying killing not bothering her nearly as badly as she thought it would.

“Even just the thought of that doesn’t bother me as much as it should!  Good Christ!  I wish I had never met you!  I would have never had to find this out about myself,” Marie snarled, tears streaming down her cheeks as his lips met hers in a harsh, possessive kiss.

“Let go, its okay.  Just accept what your true feelings are,” he urged in a husky voice, his lips bare inches from her own as his eye blazed into hers.

“I can’t, I can’t!  I’m a good person!  I want to care!  I  _ want _ to!” she denied, those words feeling like an absolute lie and only adding to her stress.

“It sure doesn’t sound like it doc.  There’s no one here you have to wear the mask for, no reason to pretend anymore.  Give in to being selfish, let go of the rules that give you agony,” the murderer rasped, his voice growing more and more like a growl as his hands came up to grab her shoulders.

“But... but...,” she gasped, an odd feeling of pressure building up inside her head.

“No, just let go,” he ordered, his voice nothing but a rumble emanating from deep inside his chest.

“Nnh... mmph...  I’m fucking glad I killed my father!  I’m fucking glad I killed Evan!  Why should I care about strangers when none of them chose to care about me!  They saw the bruises!  They heard him yelling at me but they all...  they all...  Only mother...,” burst out of her before her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she blacked out.

_ ‘He had started out so kind.  He had even treated her kid sister like his own.  He was protective, took her to dances, gave her little gifts.  Whatever had caused him to change had to be her fault, right?  At least that’s what she believed for years.  Years that led her to allow him to slowly isolate her from her friends, even her family.  The only one that refused to go anywhere had been her mother and sister, her mother urging her to just leave.  That there was a safe home for her to go back to.  But she couldn’t leave, she was too afraid.  He had threatened to hurt her family you see.  She had no choice. _

__ _ Then the beatings began, staying at home at first then slowly moving into public.  The worst thing was, no one stopped it.  No one even batted an eye, even when he openly slapped her in the middle of the mall.  She had fallen to the ground and was begging him pitifully to stop but no one so much as acted like anything was happening.  All of this only helped the idea he had planted in her head that this was her fault, that she had done something to deserve this.  It had only been darling little Stephy that had knocked some sense into her, quite literally. _

__ _ She had come over to spend some time with her baby sister at her request, only to get full on sucker punched by Stephy as soon as she had walked through the door.  At first she had been stunned and angry but then she had seen the look on her sibling’s face and all the wind went out of her sails at once.  Her little sis was absolutely livid.  Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks and her hands were curled into shaking fists as she breathed heavily through her flared nostrils.  “How dare you, I mean how dare you!  What happened to the woman who stood up for me no matter what, who... who killed our father just to make sure he wouldn’t touch either of us again.  And yet... you think you deserve to be beaten and shoved around like dirt!  I... you’re not my sister anymore Marie.  You’re some coward that’s taken her place and I want her back!  You fucking stole her from me!” the brunette had screamed, shocking the sixteen year old to her very core. _

__ _ “Steph... I... I... Oh, Stephy,” she had sobbed, finally breaking down and telling her sister all Evan had threatened.  In the end, her baby sister had told her what she already knew.  She couldn’t allow her fear of Evan to get the better of her.  She had to do something to save herself.  That was when she made a very important decision.  That night, her abusive boyfriend would cease to be a threat to her or her family. _

__ _ It just so happened that was the night Evan was at his worst.  He had started with a slap as soon as he came into the trailer home his parents paid for.  At first she had just wanted to leave him, to tell him she was moving back in with her mother.  All that turned into mindless horror as her boyfriend became outright crazed, even going so far as to shove her face over the lit burner on the stove while he screamed at her over not having dinner ready.  Then he was throwing her to the floor and she made the very grave mistake of announcing she was leaving, that enough was enough.  The tall, lightly muscled male had narrowed his blue eyes at her, the ambient lighting shining off his long blonde hair that hung in a ponytail just past his shoulders.  “You’re not going anywhere,” he had hissed, pulling out a butcher knife. _

__ _ The rest of it was a blur mixed with him slicing her with the knife.  Finally she had kicked him in the balls out of desperation and sprinted in a blind terror further into the house.  The only thought in her head had been to hide, just hide.  She couldn’t even think about running out of the house she was so afraid.  Instead she went to the large, standing closet in their bedroom and hid inside.  Of course, it didn’t take long for Evan to find her.  That was when she snapped and simply blacked out. _

__ _ When she came back to herself, she was covered in blood and holding the knife her boyfriend had held.  Evan himself lay dead, his throat slit and his body full of stab wounds.  In a panic, she called the only people she could think of; her mom and sister.  The next things seemed to happen in time skips as she sank deeper and deeper into shock.  The next thing she knew, it had been a month and she remembered absolutely nothing about Evan or what had happened to her father.  Her family decided things were better that way and simply let her form her own false memories rather than force her to remember such traumatic events.  They never knew her memory had twisted Evan into a loving boyfriend.  A boyfriend who had died to protect her from her father.  The two of them had merged.’ _

Severe shaking greeted her as she rose out of the haze her tangle of memories had been.  Everything clicked into place and yet it didn’t help her feel any better.  As she came back to consciousness, she found the story spilling from her lips and couldn’t bring herself to feel concerned.  Soon she was fully awake and aware of who she was spilling her guts to but she was helpless to stop herself.  Information spewed from her like pus from a wound until her story was finished.  Then silence fell.  “Fucking Christ,” came a stunned male voice from in front of her, drawing a ragged chuckle from Marie.

“Yeah, come to think of it that explains so much and why I repeated my mistakes.  My family became the only thing that mattered to me because they were the only ones who cared,” she whispered, feeling a bit lighter; somehow more free.  Despite the grimness of what she remembered, she felt much better.  Everything she remembered explained so much that she had questioned.  Most importantly, it explained the horrible nightmares that plagued her as long as she could remember.  They were merely her memories trying to come to the surface.

All of a sudden none of what was worrying her mattered anymore.  All the people that would be affected were strangers, with the exception of her ‘Uncle’.  Still, Dave was no fool.  As soon as Joker had escaped, the man had to have been planning to make a run for it; no doubt taking her with him if he could manage it.  She would have to hold onto the belief that he was okay.  “How do you feel?” came a husky rasp, once again drawing her attention to the murderer that hovered over her.  Taking a deep breath, Marie made a decision to just give in to what her body was practically yelling at her for.

Releasing small, nervous puffs of air, the blonde slowly leaned forward to shyly take Joker’s surprisingly soft lips in a kiss.  The taller, half naked man froze just briefly before he smirked against her lips and simply let her take the lead.  Reaching up with shaky hands, the unsure female cautiously wrapped her arms around his neck as she tilted her mouth on his.  Then she was tentatively licking his lips, tasting the odd flavor of lipstick.  To her shock, the killer opened to her with a low groan; his hot breaths hitting her lips and his tongue very lightly flicked against the silky skin.  Emboldened slightly by his apparent eagerness, Marie slowly slipped her tongue into his mouth and began to explore.

The pair kissed slowly, the ‘Clown Prince’ letting her lead the kiss despite his growing impatience for something much more.  She could feel the tension growing in his muscles as he held himself back from taking over, making the former Psychologist fill with confidence.  Wrapping her fingers in his shoulder length, green hair, Marie began to pour all of her passion and need for this man into the actions of her tongue.  Soon the pair were hopelessly tangled in eachother, low growls leaving Joker on occasion as his own hands came up to twist in her straw colored hair.  Then she was breaking the kiss, nibbling on his lower lip as she panted for air.

Coming back to herself with a jolt, the stunned female looked up to see the criminal giving her a look that took her breath away.  His hazel eyes were dilated with clear want as his breath left him in quick, harsh exhales.  Then he was taking her lips in a much harsher kiss, using his height and weight to push her back on the bed.  Releasing an indignant meow, the forgotten about Jasper hopped off Marie’s lap and curled up on a nearby chair; giving the pair his best disapproving glare.  Ignoring the jilted feline, Marie scooted up on the bed; the killer following closely so their lips never separated.  Soon the pair was entirely on the rickety bed, Joker breaking the kiss to lift her sleeping shirt over her head.

The cold air on her exposed skin made her instinctively cover her naked breasts, a blush coloring her cheeks as the painted man above her seemed to glue his eyes to her body.  His hands reached forward to firmly remove her arms, revealing her ample, slightly stretchmarked breasts.  Releasing an absolutely guttural noise, Joker leaned forward to take a nipple into his hot mouth; earning a surprised moan from the shocked female.  Then her eyes were closing as her head lolled back, sparks of lust racing through her veins to pool in her lower stomach.  Each flick of his tongue on her drew a shudder from her body as an arc of electricity went straight to her core.  “Ah, Joker,” she gasped in a raspy voice, panting heavily as she felt a pleasant pressure beginning to build up within her.

The painted villain only released a growl against her skin, his hands moving to slip off her loose pajama pants.  Lifting her hips to help him, she was rewarded with a light nibble to the bud in his mouth; nearly making her head swim from the pleasure.  Then he was taking his mouth from her with a pop, giving her an absolutely smoldering look as he slowly moved down her pale, slightly chubby body.  All at once she felt very self conscious, seeing Harleen’s perfect body clear in her head.  The woman had curves in all the right places and was the perfect picture of feminine beauty.  Who the hell was she to the hell was she to think that Joker wanted nothing more than to break her.

As if sensing her thoughts, the criminal was snapping his fingers in front of her face as he gave her an impatient look.  “Whatever you’re thinkin’ about, stop it,” he bit out, his eyes holding a warning as he rested his chin just below her belly button.  It was then it hit her was he was about to do and she felt desire clench her core.  Giving her a knowing smirk, the decorated killer dipped between her legs; his tongue eagerly meeting her semi-dry womanhood.  A low moan left her unconsciously as she arched her hips, feeling herself beginning to respond to the wet muscle moving languidly along her slit.  Making a rough noise against her, Joker placed his left hand on her lower stomach and pressed down to hold her in place.

His tongue delved and explored almost lazily until he found what he was looking for, her slowly awakening clit.  Using both hands to spread her legs, the clown latching onto the tiny button and began to suck; earning some of the most erotic noises he had ever heard.  Her tiny hands clambered for purchase, eventually landing in his dyed locks as her hips tried to undulate restlessly.  His tight grip prevented any movement, gaining some whimpered protests from the writhing woman under him.  Grinning against her, he flicked her pearl with the tip of his tongue while he carefully inserted a finger into her tight passage.

At first the unfamiliar feeling made Marie flinch before the attention he was giving her small bundle drove away any discomfort.  Moaning and keening his name softly, the blonde gasped as she felt another finger enter her womanhood.  The two digits moved slowly as he continued to suckle on her button, making her pelvis move restlessly as she felt something slowly building within her.  “Joker,” she gasped over and over, his name a breathless cry on her lips as the coil in her core slowly grew white hot.

Then his fingers were hitting something inside her and she was exploding with a cry of his name, her hips grinding into his face as she came harder than she ever had before.  Joker only purred in satisfaction, his tongue slowly riding her down and pulling away once the spasms stopped.  His chest heaved harshly as he crawled up her body, his verdant eyes burning into hers as he cradled himself between her legs.  His hot breath hit her lips as he froze bare inches from kissing her, his entire body shaking with the effort of holding back.  Giving him a confused look, Marie was about to ask why he stopped when it hit her.  He was waiting for her to take the lead once more.  Licking her dry lips as she kept eye contact, the blonde met his lips with hers as her hands began to fumble with the button on his purple pants.

She could feel the hardness of him, the heat of it nearly burning her hand as she fought with the stretched tight cotton.  After what seemed like an eternity, the button came free; allowing her to slide down the zipper.  This earned a deep groan of relief from Joker, the mass murderer giving her lips a gentle lick but not pushing it any further.  Meeting his tongue with hers, the ex-doctor gently pulled his manhood free of its silk and cotton prison.  Then her hand was exploring it curiously, earning a gruff grunt and thrust of his strong hips.  Breaking the kiss briefly, Marie rested her chin on his shuddering shoulder as her hands moved to his hips to shove down his pants and underwear.

Soon the killer was as naked as she was, his eyes gazing at her expectantly; a dark violence swimming just under the placid surface.  Taking a deep breath, the blonde slowly slid back with her hands wrapped around her companion; pulling him down with her.  Her legs came up to wrap around his lithe waist as she pressed her sopping womanhood against him.  The tip of him rested just against her entrance and she squeezed her legs to bring him forward, forcing him to enter slightly.  Both of them released a low, animalistic sound, every muscle in Joker’s body tight and shaking as he took over to slowly hilt himself inside her, taking her virginity.

Marie went stiff, a small whimper leaving her lips as pain bloomed within her.  “Y-you were a virgin?!” came a surprised rasp by her ear, drawing her attention to the shocked looking madman.  All she could do was nod weakly, doing her best to relax so the burning inside her would go away sooner.  To her absolute shock, she felt gentle kisses being pressed over her face as a pair of hands came up to play with her nipples.  Calloused fingertips pulled and plucked until her lower body was full of nothing but liquid want once more, drawing needy moans from the blonde as she squirmed.

Making an approving noise, Joker began to move once more.  He started out slow, pressing a painted, scarred cheek against hers as his hips thrust and circled.  Then he began to pick up speed as her moans urged him on, soft grunts leaving him as he practically slammed into her.  Her purple nails raked down his back over and over, only adding to his pleasure and making it hard for him to hold back.  “Cum for me Marie,” he urged, his hips snapping into her as he reached between them to play with her clit once more.  He was rewarded by her tightening around him as she screamed his name, her pulsing walls driving his own orgasm from him with a cry of her name in return.

Then he was rolling to lay next to her as all his strength left him at once, his shaky arms grabbing her and pulling her tight against his slightly sweaty body.  As they lay there, cuddling for lack of a better word, Marie found herself replaying events in her head.  Joker wasn’t someone who gave control lightly, for any reason.  Had he been testing her while they had been having sex?  If so, had she passed?  A soft kiss on her forehead interrupted her thoughts, making her look up at the considering gaze of the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’.  He almost seemed as confused by what happened as she was, something that didn’t help put her at ease.  “I went from foster home to foster home, never sticking to one for very long.  It was the scars at first.  They just scare people.  Soon it became my attitude but who could blame me?  A kid can only go so long without a single person wanting to touch them because of something they can’t help.  When I turned eighteen, the state decided it was time to release me to the world; no thought about how I would survive with no money or job experience.  The rest is sorta history really,” he whispered, an odd look on his make-up smeared face.

Marie could only stare at him, allowing the story to sink in.  He had been on the streets a long time, in Gotham.  Lord only knew who he had come across and what they had taught him about survival and humanity as a whole.  At a loss of what to say next, the blonde merely snuggled into the killer and closed her eyes; allowing his scent to lull her to sleep.  It had been a long day and right now all she wanted to do was rest.  She would deal with the consequences at a later time.  She never noticed the odd frown Joker had on his face as he began to pet her while she slept.

Downstairs, Harley was livid.  The entire warehouse had heard what the two were up to and most of the goons were drinking to their boss getting some tail.  Only Crane was silent, seeming to be as bothered by this as she was; not that it mattered one bit to her.  Snarling, she stomped a curly shoed foot as fury and betrayal bubbled in her chest.  Not that she blamed her puddin’.  the poor darling couldn’t help that his head had been turned by that hussy!  With the way things were going, she would have to put her plan into action a lot sooner.  She couldn’t just sit by at let that whore get in his head and turn him against her!  Grabbing her trusty gun, Reginald, she stormed into the night.  She never noticed the thin figure following behind her closely.


	18. Black Spade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!: Oral rape. Marked with **
> 
> Author’s Note: Once again, I would like to extend a huge thank you to every one of my readers! You guys are simply the best!

Crane followed Harley closely, his blue eyes narrowed as he ignored ‘Scarecrow’s’ voice raving in his head.   _ ‘Killll, kill her.  Dangerous.  Wants to hurt...  _ **_her_ ** _ ,’ _ the raspy voice hissed from inside his head.

_ ‘I know, trust me.  We can’t do anything about it until we have proof.  If we kill her now, Joker will more than likely return the favor,’ _ the former Psychiatrist reasoned with his darker half, crouching behind a dumpster when his target stopped in an alley.  The thing that shared his body wasn’t very happy with his reply, releasing an inhuman snarl.  Instead of paying any attention, Jonathan simply kept his eyes on the spandex clad woman.

Just when he was beginning to wonder just what she was waiting for, another figure appeared.  To his disappointment, the pair didn’t speak; Harley merely handed off an envelope before continuing on her way.  Yet, despite that fairly typical exchange, Crane found himself feeling even more suspicious.  So when she moved off, he felt torn between following her or following who she had handed the envelope to.  In the end, he chose to follow the gun toting female; a decision that would come to haunt him.

_ ‘Roger was over once again and had yet to even raise his voice, something that normally didn’t bode well for her.  Whenever he got quiet like this, it usually meant he wanted something sexual with her.  While he had never outright raped her, claiming he was saving her virginity for their wedding night, that didn’t mean he hadn’t used her other orifices.  “How’s my baby girl been doing?” he rumbled in her ear, placing his hands on her shoulders and moving them down to her upper arms. _

__ _ “Please, I’m just not in the mood,” she pleaded, bracing herself for the inevitable blow up.  It was hard to feel any desire for someone who beat her almost every time he came over.  The only time he didn’t was when he wanted sex from her, making her feel a bit used. _

__ _ With a low growl, the brute wound a hand in her hair and yanked her head back so she was looking at him upside down.  “I don’t recall asking.  You belong to me you bitch and I will use you how I see fit,” he hissed before he released her to walk in front of the couch.  Marie could only watch him, not daring to make a run for her room.  She had learned the hard way that when he was horny, it was much better for her to simply give him what he wanted.  The one time she had made it to her room...  Well the month after hadn’t been pleasant. _

__ _ **“Open,” he snarled, unzipping his fly slowly.  The blonde in front of him complied, opening her mouth wide as he freed his hardening member from his boxers. _

__ _ As soon as he was freed, one of his hands went to her head as he used the other to position his slitted tip at her open mouth.  Then his hips were thrusting forward, effectively choking her with his cock.  The Psychologist only had a moment to adjust to the intrusion before he started moving, his other hand joining its companion on her head.  Breathing through her nose, it was all Marie could do not to gag.  Thankfully it was mercifully short, her ‘boyfriend’ spilling himself down her throat.  Then he was stuffing himself back in his pants, zipping up and storming out the door; leaving the stunned female to deal with the aftermath of his actions.’** _

A sudden shaking drew her out of her dreams turned memories, making her groan.  Then an explosion came from downstairs, startling the young woman awake and making her shoot up in bed.  Before she could even ask what was going on, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and a chin came to rest on her right shoulder.  “That’s just some of the boys testing the homemade explosives.  Nothing to worry about,” rasped a drowsy male voice in her ear, a finger moving under her chin to turn her to face Joker.  Then a pair of lips were meeting hers as the painted clown released a soft growl.

“Good morning Doc,” he purred, one of his hands coming up to tangle in her shoulder length, sandy hair.  Marie could only blink in confusion before tentatively giving the killer a kiss in return.

This small action caused Joker to freeze, every muscle in his body tensing.  He even seemed to stop breathing, as if not quite believing just what happened.  A bit charmed and confused by this reaction, the former doctor pressed her lips against his even firmer to see how he would react.  The disguised male released a sigh before moving his arms to wrap around her.  Yet he made no move to deepen the kiss.  It seemed as if he was once again letting her take the lead, probably in an effort to do the same thing she was.  Not wanting to fail whatever test he was giving her, she tilted her head to deepen the kiss.  Just as their tongues touched, the door to the room came flying open.  “Harley, what the fuck have I told you about picking the lock on my door!” Joker roared as he broke the kiss to glower at his henchwench.

Marie moved to look at the intruder, only to have the clown’s arms wrap tightly around her to hold her against him; almost as if he was protecting her.  “Sorry Mistah J, I just thought you would want to know that Franz blew a hole in the south wall,” the pigtail wearing woman responded, her blue eyes fixed on the other blonde.  The murderer holding her only released an exasperated sound before dismissing the other female with a wave of his hand.  Pursing her lips and giving the ex-Psychologist a look that could kill, Harley turned around and left; closing the door behind her.

“I told that idiot to make sure not to destroy the building.  Now I have to get a group of goons to fix it,” the irritated criminal groused, running a hand over his make-up smeared face.  Then he was flinging the blanket off himself, revealing that he was very naked.

Her gray eyes going wide, Marie averted her gaze as she got out of bed so he wouldn’t have to clamber over her.  Joker followed right behind her, an amused gleam in his green eyes.  “Why are you getting all embarrassed?  Don’t you remember what we did last night?” he chuckled teasingly, thrusting his hips a bit to make his flaccid manhood flop around a bit.  The embarrassed female only covered her eyes as she blushed deeply.

“Of course I remember, how could I forget?” she responded in a shaky voice, her heart racing slightly due to the fact that she couldn’t see the violent male.

“Then you should have no problem seeing me naked,” he purred from much closer, his hands pulling her own away from her eyes.  Then he was giving her a sweet kiss, wrapping his arms around her as he squeezed her tightly.  After a few seconds, he broke the kiss to look her in the eyes.

“You were whimpering in your sleep earlier.  Care to tell me what you were dreaming about?” he asked, releasing her to move to his clothes.  Marie could only blink as the villain began to pull on his purple pants.

“It was more like a memory really.  It was about one of the many time Roger forced me to give him sexual pleasure,” she responded quietly, flinching instinctually when she saw Joker go absolutely stiff.  She could practically taste the rage rolling off him in thick waves as he slowly turned to face her.

“He forced himself on you?” he whispered in a too quiet, too calm voice for the fury in his mismatched eyes.

“In a lot of ways except one, as you well know.  He wanted to save the big one for our... ‘wedding night’,” the blonde responded, doing her best not to back away from the seething killer as he began to slowly stalk towards her.

“Wedding night?  Let me guess, the bastard told you it was his right to use you as he saw fit,” the clown snarled, hate gleaming clear in his eyes as he rapidly closed the distance to take her into his arms again.  An action that honestly shocked Marie.

Before she could react, the unstable male was releasing her to gather the rest of his clothes.  Once he was fully dressed, he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the bathroom with him, as if he didn’t want to let her out of his sight for even a second.  “Tell me his full name,” the incensed murderer ordered as he turned on the faucets full blast to wash off his smeared disguise.  Immediately, Marie fixed her stormy gaze on the tile of the bathroom so she wouldn’t see him without it.  As much trust as the two had gained for eachother, she still didn’t want to take the chance of seeing something he didn’t want her to.

Mostly out of habit, Marie began to protest when she actually stopped and thought about it.  The only reason she had kept his name was to prevent Joker from having something to use on her.  After everything she had shared with him, still doing that seemed a bit superfluous.  “His name is Roger Statham.  He used to be a general in the army and even fought in a war.  He’s fairly tall, well muscled and has black hair,” she murmured, internally counting the tiles as she waited for the criminal to tell her it was okay to look.

“Do you know which crime bosses he’s partnered with?” came his voice from in front of her as she felt a hand settle on her shoulder.  Looking up, she saw the infamous villain once again in perfect make-up.

“Um, one or two.  They both seemed to be mob bosses or something like that.  I only really remember what one looks like.  I think his name was ‘Fat Tony’ and for good reason.  The man must have been at least 500 pounds,” she replied quietly, wincing at the memory.  Not only had he been horribly overweight but he also had an aura of B.O around him, making it hard to even be in the same room as him.

“If he knows ‘Fat Tony’ I think I have a good idea of the people he’s running with,” Joker hissed, anger and a touch of fear in his hazel eyes.  Then he was grabbing her upper arm once more, practically dragging her behind him as he made his way out of the room and down the metal stairs.

“You know, if you want me to follow you; all you have to do is ask,” Marie sighed as she jogged to keep up.  The man pulling her along only rolled his eyes as he continued to lead her through the main living area of the warehouse and into a small door that lead to a huge, open back area.  As soon as they got in the room, the blonde saw the huge hole in the back wall; causing her jaw to drop to the floor.

They weren’t only ones in the room either, a tall very thin man seeming to examine the hole.  “Franz, what have I told about blowing holes in our hideouts,” Joker growled, a playful exasperation in his mid-tone voice.  The living skeleton in front of them only turned to raise a brow at his boss.  The man was tall, having to be around 6’ 6”, and was painfully thin; looking like his skin was simply stretched over his bones.  His eyes were a bright blue and he had long, blonde hair that fell to his mid back as well as a matching mustache on his upper lip.

“Sorry, I simply had to test the plastic explosive.  I had no idea it would be that powerful,” the man replied in a thick German accent.

“Well, I certainly have to hand it to you.  This new mix seems to be pretty good,” the ‘Clown Prince’ praised as he released Marie to walk towards the hole and examine the damage.  The hole itself was almost big enough to walk through hunched over, only seeming to make the tux wearing killer happy.

“Yep, this will do the trick alright.  I’ll get Bruno to fix the damage,” he continued, giving the lab coat wearing man a hearty pat on the back.

Marie, who had been watching the exchange, could only wonder what Joker was going to use such a powerful explosive on.  Shuddering at the thought, the blonde followed the purple clad man out of the room and back into the main living area.  As soon as they were in the room, Harley was launching herself at the ex-Psychologist.  An action that very nearly made Joker tackle her due to the fact he thought she was attacking the other blonde.  To both their shocks, the crazed criminal merely hugged her.  “Good morning!” the spandex clad femme chirped before flouncing away, leaving the pair to watch her in confusion.

“She’s acting different.  I don’t like it,” the face-paint wearing killer hissed, narrowing his eyes as he placed a hand in the small of her back to push her toward the kitchen.

“I know.  She’s acted like she hated me ever since I came here and now she’s acting like we’ve been friends forever,” the dirty blonde replied, sitting at the table.

Crane, who was in the kitchen making breakfast, merely nodded in agreement; pursing his lips as he flipped a pancake.  “I don’t like it either.  She’s been sneaking around lately,” he offered, turning his head to lock eyes with his partner.  Joker met his gaze steadily, his own ruby lips pursed in a thin line.

“Marie, I don’t want you around her alone.  When I leave, you need to lock yourself in my room and ignore her.  I don’t know what she’s up to but I have a bad feeling,” the disguised murderer whispered in her ear as he sat beside her.

“You don’t have to worry about that.  I’m not stupid enough to think she suddenly gained affection for me, especially after she saw us in bed together kissing,” she replied, turning her head slightly to look at the female jester.  The black and red clad woman was currently giggling with one of the goons, not seeming to pay them any mind.

“Speaking of which, Joker and I have to leave the hideout again today.  This job is just too dangerous to take you with us,” Jonathan informed, setting plates on the table before he sat down.

“Our last excursion seems to have failed to draw out Batsy.  We’re going to make sure he can’t ignore this one,” the green haired criminal next to her informed before she could even ask.  Nodding, Marie simply began to eat her breakfast; doing her best not to think about what they would be doing.

As soon as they were done eating, Joker was once again taking her by the arm to lead her upstairs.  “We’ll be back soon.  Don’t call me unless its an emergency,” the taller, purple clad male whispered, bending down to talk in her ear.  Then he was opening the door and entering the room with her, his green eyes full of worry for her; something that only made her more concerned.

“If Harley tries to do anything...,” he rasped, his hands curling into shaking fists.

“I’ll call you,” she answered before reaching up to give him a kiss on his lipstick coated lips.  An action that seemed to shock the infamous killer.  Then his arms were wrapping around her as he returned the kiss, moaning softly against her lips before he pulled away.

The look he was giving her nearly made her weak in the knees and she found herself smiling up at him.  “Good luck.  Be safe out there,” she murmured, giving him another quick peck.  Joker only looked down at her, seeming very reluctant to leave.

“You too,” he replied before he turned and left the room, locking the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Marie went to the dresser to retrieve a can of cat food for Jasper.  At the sound of the container opening, the overweight feline sped out from under the bed and began to coil around her legs; meowing pathetically.  “Alright, alright Jas.  Here’s your food,” she cooed, placing the full bowl on the concrete floor.  As her cat ate, the blonde found herself thinking about a few things.  She already knew she was unlikely to ever leave here, not that she really wanted to.  She would have to actually come up with an identity for herself to protect both Crane and Joker.  Getting a thoughtful look on her face, the blonde opened one of the drawers in the dresser and eyed her purple pants suit.  She already had a costume, all she needed was a disguise and name.

“Well, Joker already sorta gave me a name.  I just need to expand on it,” she mused to herself out loud before she turned and headed into the bathroom.  Immediately her gaze traveled to the makeup on the bathroom sink and she got an idea.

After a few tests with the make up, Marie finally had a look she was happy with.  She had covered her face in white face-paint and had used black lipstick on her lips.  The only other bit of color was a black spade over her left eye.  “Hello ‘Black Spade,’ let’s hope I never have to use you,” she whispered to her reflection before turning on the faucet and washing off her hard work.  She had no reason to keep it on due to the fact she had been experimenting.  Also there was the fact she was staying home.  Once her face was again clear, she went back into the bedroom to sit on the bed.

The former doctor didn’t have a long period of peace before she heard a knock on the door.  Having a good idea of who it was, the straw haired female only rolled her gray eyes before deciding to ignore it.  Unfortunately, Harley didn’t seem to want to be ignored; knocking insistently until Marie simply couldn’t take it anymore.  “Whatever you want, the answer’s no,” she snarled, hoping that would be enough to make the other female go away.

“But something terrible has happened to Mistah J!  We have to go help him!” came the distressed, tearful answer.  Just hearing that was nearly enough to make the former Psychologist rush to the door before she actually stopped to think.  This could be a trap, considering how worried Joker was about Harley doing something to harm her.

“I haven’t gotten any calls from either him or Crane.  How do I know you’re telling the truth?” she countered, standing a few feet away from the still closed door.

“How would you have?  Mistah J’s been shot and Crane was killed trying to protect him!  I only know this because Hector called me!” came the panicked, nearly sobbed response.  Hearing that emotion helped convince her and Marie opened the door.

“Alright, lead the way,” she replied, wishing she had kept on the make-up from earlier.

Harley, whose painted cheeks were covered with running mascara, only looked up at her gratefully before grabbing her hand and yanking her down the stairs.  Soon they were outside and running through alleyways until they stopped in one to catch their breath.  “How much further?” Marie panted, feeling a bit uneasy when the other woman gave her a wide grin.

“Oh, we’re here already,” the black and red clad criminal giggled, a strange gleam in her blue eyes.

“What do you...,” she began to ask before pain exploded in the back of her skull and everything went black.


	19. The Beast's Claws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: Extreme Abuse. Graphic Rape. Gore. More extreme bits marked with **
> 
> Author’s Note: Yeah, this won’t be a pleasant read. Certainly wasn’t pleasant to write. Also a lot longer than intended.

An explosion of pain in the right side of her face was what woke her up.  Barely able to bite back a scream of pain, Marie opened her eyes to look at her attacker.  Unfortunately the light in the room she was in was far too dim for her to make out anything but a silhouette.  “You ungrateful bitch,” hissed an all too familiar voice by her ear.

“Roger,” she gasped just before she was full on punched in the same side of her face as before.

“That’s right, remember me?  Here I was, worried to death about my girlfriend; thinking she was getting tortured or worse.  I put myself in danger by making a deal with a mad woman to rescue her and what do I find out...,” he hissed, beginning to circle around her like a predator.

Spitting blood out of the side of her mouth, the blonde tried to sit up only to find her wrists and legs had been bound.  Feeling around with her fingertips as she watched the shadowy figure of her ex, Marie found out she was bound with duct tape.  “I find out she’s helping him pull off jobs, even having sex with the man who took her.  How long have you been doing this?” came a heated growl from behind her as a hand fisted in her hair and yanked her head back.

“None of your business you asshole,” she hissed hatefully, earning a hard slap for her sass.

“Have you been fucking him since you got his case in Arkham?  What about before?  Have you been helping him this entire time?” the muscled male murmured in her ear, his grip tightening and making her snarl in pain.

“Eat shit and die you fucker!  I don’t owe you shit!” the restrained female returned before getting her face shoved down onto the rough concrete.  The much stronger man looming above her released a low growl while he ground her cheek along the ground.

“You filthy little whore!  I took care of you!  Made sure your rent was always paid!  And this is how you repay me?  By fucking some psychotic clown?” he roared before shooting to his feet and kicking her in the side with a steel toed boot.

**Marie let out a cry of pain as she felt something snap within her.  “I was saving your virginity for our marriage and I find out you’ve given it to a murderer!  Well I’m not going to let either of you get one up on me,” the crazed ex-marine spat out before pulling out his hunting knife and beginning to cut off her shorts and underwear.  The stunned blonde could only watch with wide, gray eyes, before screaming for help.

“Scream all you want babe.  Do you think I’m stupid enough to do this where anyone can hear you?” Roger snarled before ripping off her lower clothes and doing the same to her shirt.  Then he was cutting the duct tape around her ankles. earning a hard kick from her shoe clad foot.

Releasing a guttural yell, the shadowed man grabbed her ankles in a harsh grip before yanking himself against her core.  “You better just lay back and enjoy the ride,” Roger snarled before hilting himself inside her.  Marie could only yowl in agony as she writhed and bucked her hips in a useless effort to dislodge the horrible being between her legs.

“You fucking whore!  Just give up and let this happen,” the former soldier ordered, a rough hand wrapping around her throat and choking her until her vision began to go black.

Groaning, the barely conscious blonde could only turn her head to the side as her ex surged inside her limp body.  Her dazed eyes suddenly locked on a silhouette by the window and she gave a breathless mewl in response.  “Ah fuck, I hope you make that noise again,” grunted the thrusting beast between her thighs as the window opened.  In that window appeared a leather covered Selina, whose eyes widened when she saw the position the ex-doctor was in.  Then the lithe female was slipping silently inside, her black catsuit making her easily disappear into the shadows.

“Ah christ!” Roger spat bitterly as he emptied his hot load inside her; groping a handful of her naked breasts as his semen seeped out from between her legs.  Then he was pulling out, the light allowing her to see him for the first time.  An unnatural white splotched his skin in a few spots and his lips were an unusually bright red.  His blue eyes were wide and bloodshot, a fine sheen of sweat coating his large body.**

**Unfortunately he caught her stare and kicked her in the side again before fastening his pants.  “It’s your ‘boyfriend’s’ fault I’m starting to look like a freak!  His fault there are now voices in my head!  They never shut the fuck up!  After I’m finished with you, lover boy is next on my list,” he rumbled, his voice bubbling up from a deep part of his chest as he bent to lift her up by her neck.  Marie could only gargle weakly as she kicked out uselessly at him.  Just as her vision was once again starting to go black, she was dropped unceremoniously to the ground and showered with warm fluid.  A bit of it hit her tongue, leaving a coppery taste that made her think of blood.  Looking up, the sandy blonde watched as her former patient finished slitting Roger’s throat.**

“Selina,” she sobbed out in a relieved voice, smiling at the black clad thief as she cut through the duct tape on her wrists.

“Dr. Jovian, how the fuck did you get out here?  Who was that man,” the furious woman snarled, pulling the blonde to her feet before proceeding to tug Roger’s pants off his cooling body.

“That was my former boyfriend.  As for how I got here, that’s a very long story,” sighed the pain riddled woman as she struggled to put on the overlarge pants her ex-patient handed her.  It was hard to breath and it felt like the inside of her womanhood was on fire.  A mixture of semen and what she was sure was blood seeped out of her and dribbled down her legs, making her grateful she couldn’t see them.

“That filth was your boyfriend?!  Fuck, maybe Joker actually rescued you,” the cat burglar hissed, giving the corpse another kick before grabbing Maries wrist and dragging her along.

“Yeah, I was actually starting to think that too.  He’s been acting a lot differently than I expected,” the panting doctor rasped as she fought against the graying edges of her vision.  As they ran, she did her best to block out the images of Roger over her, entering her; the feeling of him tearing her delicate passage.

“We have to get you somewhere safe.  My hideout is close by.  Thank God I was going out for some fun when...,” the feline mask wearing female whispered, leading her through a maze of back alleys until they came upon an old, abandoned house whose yard was covered in strange looking flora.

“Don’t mind the plants.  Sometimes I have company but she won’t mind you.  I’ve told her enough about you that she wouldn’t hurt you,” the criminal assured her as she lead her up the rotting steps and past a decrepit, warped door.  The inside was no better than the outside, the floor being warped and even missing boards in places.  The wallpaper peeled of the walls in long curls and large groups of cats sprawled on the stairs and every other available space.

“I hope you aren’t allergic to cats,” Selina whispered, her green eyes worried as she turned to look at the swaying woman.

“No.  Can you lead me to where I can have a bath and lay down?  I think the bastard broke a few of my ribs,” the blonde gasped before collapsing and simply passing out.

A sharp slap echoed through the crowded room as Joker glared down at his female partner.  His nostrils were flared and his breaths left him in quick pants as he curled his leather covered hands into tight fists.  A black eye and split lip only added to his intimidating appearance, making the shaking woman cower from him.  “Where the fuck is she?!  Don’t keep giving me this bullshit that she fucking ran away!  I  _ know _ her you little slut!  She has too many things to hide from to want to return to that life!  I know you had something to fucking do with it!” roared the painted killer, his tux coated frame shaking from the force of his rage.

“Mistah J, why does it mattah?  She was just a hostage!  She’s back where she belongs,” the spandex wearing femme whimpered, flinching when the livid male tossed a table aside as if it weighed nothing.  Then he was grabbing her delicate neck and squeezing, his cold eyes promising a slow death.

“What do you mean by that you little bitch?  What the fuck did you do,” he whispered in a deadly tone, Crane shaking behind him as he fought for control with his darker counterpart.

While the ‘Clown Prince’ raged, Jonathan was struggling to remain lucid.   _ ‘Bitch!  Filthy!  Needs to die!  Where is  _ **_she_ ** _?  We need  _ **_her_ ** _!  Hurt hurthurthurt _ **_HURT_ ** _!’ _ raved the crazed voice of the thing in his head, forcing the former Psychiatrist to grasp his head in both hands in an effort to anchor himself.

_ ‘Stop, stop it!  We need to find out where she is first.  Besides, I think Joker has earned the right to kill this bitch more than we have,’ _ the rail thin man tried to reason, earning a guttural snarl in response.

_ ‘Things yours way.  Look what happened.   _ **_She_ ** _ is now gone!  Only one who understands!  Only one who trusts!  Only one we love!  Ask too much!  Cannot just watch!  Need justice!  Need blood!  So afraid... so afraid...,’ _ ‘Scarecrow’ moaned, its response shocking the more human host.

_ ‘You... you  _ **_love_ ** _ Marie?!  How...  You can’t love anything!’ _ Jonathan murmured, stilling as the dark thing in his head froze as well.

_ ‘Thought we were empty.  Never... never felt before...  Used to be afraid of what we felt.  No longer.   _ **_She_ ** _...  M-marie is dear to usssss,’ _ the being husked, sounding confused and almost pleading.

“Scarecrow...,” Jonathan whispered out loud, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as Joker released an animalistic yell before punching the cowering Harley.  Tears that didn’t belong to him.

“You led her to her ex?!” the enraged murderer screamed as his fist collided with his former lover’s nose.  The pigtail wearing blonde released a cry of pain and shock, tears welling up in her eyes as she backed away from her beloved.

“M-mistah J,” she gasped in a broken voice, blood seeping from her newly broken nose.

“Shut up you whore!  Get out!  Get out before I end up with your blood on my hands.  Your death would cause more trouble than its worth,” the shaking criminal snarled, turning his gaze from her as he ran a gloved hand through his dyed locks.

“Joker...,” she started again, flinching back when the man went absolutely board stiff.

“ **_Get! Out!_ ** ” he screamed, driving her escape.  She only had time to grab Reginald before she was running out of the building, her blue eyes blinded by hot tears as blood continued to flow out of her nose.

Joker panted harshly, his painted nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth.  “Fan out.  Find her.   _ Now! _ ” he snarled, his heart an aching ball in his chest as he whirled his back on his goons and stormed upstairs.  As soon as he entered the room, the cat shot under the bed; as if sensing his ill temper.  Letting out a harsh noise, the distraught killer ran his unsteady, purple clad hands through his curly hair as he paced frantically.  He needed to clear his mind so he would actually be able to help but he found himself unable to.  For the first time in a very long time, he was actually scared for someone else.  Somehow, the blonde had wormed her way past his defences and into his heart.

“What the fuck did you do to me?” he snarled in a choked voice before punching the top of the dresser.

“You fucking little bitch, you got in!  You fucking got in!  Well guess what!” he roared, stress clear in his voice as he pulled his handgun free of his right hip holster.

“Now you’re fucking stuck with me,” he hissed to the empty room before he grabbed several throwing knives as well as bullets.  Then he was charging out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he charged downstairs.

Marie came to, two female shapes leaning over her as she laid on a mattress.  “The salve I used should help with her ribs.  Do you know what happened yet?” asked an unfamiliar, husky, female voice.

“Only the barest facts.  Joker kidnapped her a while ago but I think that might have been a good thing.  The man who did this to her was her... her boyfriend,” replied the voice she recognized as Selina, sounding thoroughly stunned and disgusted.

“Shit...  Call him, Mew-Mew,” urged the other woman, nearly making the half conscious blonde giggle.

“Mew-Mew?  What a cute nickname,” she groaned sitting up and closing her eyes in an effort to focus her vision.

“Shut up!” her former patient spat in embarrassment, earning a chuckle from a red haired woman.

The female was rather tall and her clothing appeared to be organic leaves that grew out of her body itself.  Even her skin was tinted a sickly green shade and her lips were a deadly looking red that didn’t look like any lipstick ever made.  “How did this happen to you?” the plant-like female whispered, her green eyes focused on the injured woman.

“It was fucking Harley.  She led me out of the hideout with a lie about Joker being hurt and needing help.  She... she made a deal with my bastard of an ex,” the former Psychologist replied, recognizing the other female immediately.  This was Poison Ivy, looking even more horrifying that she had ever imagined.  It looked as if the chemicals used on her had truly fused her with plant-life, making her a unique being.

“Harleen?!  Well, I can’t say I’m surprised after what we’ve seen on the news.  It seems Joker has taken quite a shine to you,” the leaf covered femme sighed, narrowing her pale eyes as the other woman flipped open her cellphone to dial a number.

“Who are you calling?” the still sore but clean female asked, wondering how she had been bathed.  Then it occurred to her that her two companions must have washed her while she was out, making a heated blush color her cheeks as she filled with mortification.

“Joker of course!  He’s probably looking for you right this moment,” the cat suit wearing female replied, pressing the object to her head and beginning to pace.

“You have his number?!” Marie burst out, so many questions filling her mind at once as relief also washed through her.

“Most of us have each other’s numbers, mostly to make sure we don’t accidentally get in the other’s way or blow someone up,” the leather coated thief replied tapping a booted foot as she waited for him to pick up.

“What the fuck do you want!” came a pissed roar as soon as the ringing ended making all the women in the room wince.

“Joker!  I’m okay!  I was rescued by Selina!” Marie called before the cat-like female could answer.  This earned a long stretch of silence, making the trio wonder if the connection had been cut off suddenly.

“Marie?  Marie is that you?” came a breathless reply, the normally violent male sounding almost weak.  Selina wordlessly handed the reclining woman her phone, taking Ivy and leaving the room.

Grateful for the privacy, the Psychologist pressed the phone to her head as she tried to slow her racing heart.  Just hearing his voice made her long for the safety of his arms, a feeling entirely foreign to her.  “Yeah, it’s me,” she replied in a soothing voice, inwardly amused that she was comforting Joker of all people.

“Oh thank fuck...  I thought...  What happened?  What did that bastard do to you?” came his voice; sounding worried at first, then growing downright deadly.

“He took the liberty of making the right side of my face match what my left used to look like, he broke a few ribs and raped me for good measure,” she replied, earning an absolutely vicious snarl from the ‘Clown Prince.’

“If I see Harley again, I’ll fucking kill her.  I don’t care how much Selina and her girlfriend like her,” the infuriated male ground out, the faint sound of squealing tires heard in the background.

“Is that her?  Is she hurt?” came a faint, male voice in the background, making her realize Jonathan was coming too.

“Asshole fucking busted her up and raped her.  Probably would have killed her if it wasn’t for Selina,” her lover replied heatedly before an inhuman noise came from what she assumed was ‘Scarecrow.’

“We’ll be there in a second.  For fuck’s sake just stay still,” Joker bit out before hanging up.  Marie could only sigh as she slumped in the bed, smiling at the pair that came back into the room.

“Just so you know, you don’t have to worry about us sheltering Harley while you’re here.  We don’t like what she did but everyone acts a bit nutty when in love,” Ivy whispered, her arm slung loosely around Selina’s hourglass waist.

“Thanks, I appreciate that.  They should be here soon,” the blonde sighed, tossing the black phone back to its owner.  Unfortunately they were interrupted by a frantic pounding on the door.

“Shit, it’s too soon to be them.  That’s probably Harleen,” Ivy groaned, leaving Selina to go downstairs to deal with the female jester.

“How long have you two been together?” Marie asked curiously, trying to pass the time while she heard a pair of faint voices below.  To her amusement, the felid-like woman blushed prettily while nibbling her lower lip.

“A few years.  Ivy’s been working on something with her plants to enable us to become parents naturally,” she confessed, rubbing her leather covered arm as she shifted almost shyly.

“Congrats and I mean that” Marie offered with a wide smile, genuinely happy for the other woman.  The midnight haired femme smiled and opened her mouth to reply when they heard loud protests from downstairs.

“How dare you take that hussy’s side!  If you hadn’t interfered then she’d be dead now!  Surely Mistah J woulda forgotten her in time!  He just needed her gone to realize he really loves me,” exclaimed an all too familiar, accented voice.

“I don’t care right now Harleen.  Joker is on his way to pick her up so you should get out before he gets here.  If he sees you anywhere near where she is, I don’t think you’ll live to tell the tale,” the stoic Ivy responded, a hint of irritation in her husky voice.  Thankfully that seemed to do the trick and hurricane Harley fled with a flurry of heel steps.

Not a few seconds later, a vehicle was heard pulling up outside and two pairs of feet charged into the house and up the stairs.  “First room on the right,” Ivy called, not sounding bothered one bit by their behavior.  Then the two men were bursting into the room, equal looks of fear in their faces.  Once they saw she was whole, they only relaxed slightly before rushing to her bed and assaulting her with a myriad of questions.

“One at a time guys,” the overwhelmed ex-doctor pleaded, her head pounding from the noise.

“Is he fucking dead?” Joker snarled, his first question surprising no one.

“Selina killed him,” Marie sighed before the tux wearing man was scooping her into his strong arms.

“Shame, I would have liked the pleasure myself,” he rasped, his arms shaking as he dared Selina to protest with his blazing, green eyes.  The black clad thief only nodded, an amused look on her disguised face as the killer and his taller partner left with their precious burden.

Soon Joker was crawling into the back of the van with her, relegating Jonathan to driving since he seemed unwilling to let her go.  His red lips were pursed in a grim line, the scars on his cheeks giving him and even more severe look.  “What happened?” Marie whispered, gently touching his split lip as she stared at his black eye.  The clown cradling her could only give her a half amused, half frustrated glance before huffing laughter through his nose.

“Here you are, broken ribs and raped; possibly pregnant and you’re worrying about me,” he whispered before cackling quietly, the sound holding a slightly bitter edge.  A leather covered hand moved a strand of her burnished gold hair out of her face before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I had a run in with Batsy during our excursion today, like I hoped.  Turned out he wasn’t as amused by my game as I thought he would.  Who knew forcing someone to chose between blowing up a bus of children or a nursing home would be one of his triggers?” the crazed male joked, one of his hands moving to gently lift up her shirt.

His green eyes gained a furious glare as he saw the horrible bruising under the coating of salve Ivy had put on her.  Then his gaze moved to her face and his gaze burned green fire.  Surprisingly gentle fingertips brushed the abused skin before he was closing his eyes to gain some control over himself.  Jonathan, wanting to get back as much as they did, started the van and pushed the gas pedal to the floor; making sure to drive cautiously despite the insane speed.  Nodding in approval, the tense villain holding her reopened his eyes to lock his gaze with hers.  Then his lips were meeting hers almost cautiously, his breath leaving him in ragged huffs as one of his hands came up to tangle in her shoulder length hair.  “I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered in a soft voice, not breaking contact with her mouth as he spoke.

“Joker...,” Marie whispered, all the emotions of the night hitting her at once as she clung to the lapels of his cotton jacket.  The green haired male only shook his head violently, wrapping his arms around her as he held her shaking form against him.

“No, please hold on until we get home; please.  Just a little longer,” he whispered urgently in her ear, his gloved hands moving on her shuddering upper back as he tried to soothe her.  Swallowing her tears, the distraught female could only nod before burrowing her aching face into the silk covering his chest under his coat.

“Soon, soon,” whispered his voice in her ear, the huskiness her only anchor in the storm that threatened to overcome her any moment.  Thankfully the man holding her was right and they pulled up to their ‘home’ within seconds.

“Put your arms around my neck,” he whispered softly, earning instant compliance as he swept her aching body into his arms and carried her inside.

“Get her some painkillers and knock before you enter,” Joker ordered Crane, getting a grunt of agreement as the spasming male lurched off to do as asked.  From the looks of it, it was getting harder and harder for the doctor to control his other half but neither of them could be bothered with that information.

Within seconds, the purple clad murderer was opening his door and laying her on the bed before closing and locking the same entry.  Then he was taking her into his arms once more, his hands all over her as he released ragged breaths.  Just knowing she was where she was safe, Marie finally let go of all her fear and pain; sobbing loudly into his blue clad chest.  The man holding her tensed for a brief moment before beginning to rock her, his arms shaking slightly.  “I was so scared Joker!  I thought I was going to die,” the battered female gasped between sobs, getting a soft noise in response.

“Jack...,” he whispered in a barely audible voice, making the former Psychologist stop mid-cry.  Her heart roared in her ears as she slowly looked up at him with confused, tear filled eyes.

“Wh-what?” she whispered just as quietly, her heart leaping in her throat when the green haired killer pressed his painted forehead against hers and took one of her hands in his; tangling their fingers together.

“My real name.  It’s Jack Napier.  I’d like ya ta use it in private from now on,” he murmured before pulling his hand free of hers.  With a frustrated noise, the disguised male pulled his glove off with his teeth before once again entwining their hands.

“J-joker...,” Marie whispered unsurely, her her skipping a few beats from the implications this action had.

“Jack right now, please.  I... I was so scared for you Bon Jovi.  I thought I had lost the only other person who could understand me.  The only person I ever...  If the bastard was still alive, he would be screaming in agony before you while I tortured him via your instructions,” he snarled, his heated, ugly words causing a strange thrill of arousal to race through her veins.

Shaking her head to clear it, Marie took a deep breath before meeting Joker’s eyes with her own.  “I’m glad to be home... Jack,” she whispered, the name tasting strange on her tongue.  Just hearing it seemed to make the male stiffen as his breath stopped in his chest.

“Say my name again,” he urged in an odd sounding voice, his naked hand disposing of his other glove so he could fully touch her.  Both large, calloused hands cupped her face as his eyes blazed into hers, time seeming to almost freeze until she spoke next.

“Jack,” she said a bit louder, barely having time to gasp before his lips met hers fiercely.  An ill timed knock interrupted the moment and Joker broke from her with a sigh.

“Use your key Crane,” he allowed before the obviously worried chemist did just that.

His wide, haunted eyes flitted around the room until they landed on her bruised form.  Releasing a gruff noise, the thin male rushed to her side to take one of her hands in his.  “Oh Marie.  I should have followed her closer, paid more attention.  This is all my fault,” Jonathan groaned, his voice wracked with guilt as his bony body shook uncontrollably.

“What do you mean?” the clown holding her asked before she could, his voice holding a steely edge as his hazel orbs narrowed.

“I knew she was plotting something so I followed her for a few days.  One night I saw her hand something off to a shadowy figure and thought nothing of it.  I chose to follow her instead.  If I had followed him, maybe...,” the guilt ridden male whispered, only to nearly get tackled by a hug from his former caretaker.

“It’s not your fault Jonathan.  You couldn’t have known that was Roger.  For all you know, that could have been just another deal she was making,” the injured blonde assured, before releasing him to take the painkillers from him.  Crane could only watch, relief slowly filling him when he saw she was a lot less injured than she seemed.

“Thanks Crane.  Go back downstairs and keep an eye out for Harley.  I don’t trust that idiot not to try something stupid,” Joker growled, wrapping his arms around her once more to pull her into his lap.  Nodding, the thin male gave Marie one last glance before going downstairs.  As much as he wanted to stay, he knew better than to try to fight for something that was never his.

After a few moments of being alone, the taller male slowly let her go to get out of bed and get undressed.  Once naked, he paused and got a thoughtful look on his painted face.  “Roger’s dead.  There’s really nothing to keep you here,” he whispered, a slightly panicked look briefly crossing his face before it was replaced by anger.  The straw haired femme could only blink as she thought about what he had said.  He was right, there was now no reason for her to not try to run away.  No reason other than the man giving her a deadly glare.

“You’re right about that.  If I wanted, I could leave tomorrow and go back to a life before crime,” she whispered, getting to her feet as she slowly closed the distance between them.  Joker only released a low growl, palming one of his knives as she began to move closer to him and therefore the door.  To his shock, the shorter woman flung her arms around his neck as she locked her gaze with his.

“But I don’t want to leave Jack.  I... I think I...  Oh Jack, I think I love you,” she whispered in a rush before she stood on tiptoes to take his lips in a sweet kiss.  To her shock and slight hurt, the taller male shoved her away slightly to give her a confused look.

“Wh-what?  What did you say?” he whispered in a far too quiet voice, his hands pulsing on her shoulders.

“I... I love you,” she repeated, feeling confused when the naked man withdrew entirely.  In seconds he was throwing his clothes on, only adding to her confusion.

“Jack, what did I do wrong?” she found herself gasping as the clown grabbed his weapons and stormed to the door.  Without answering her, the killer opened the door and slammed it shut.  Marie only had seconds to ponder just what she had done before her heart shattered and she simply began to sob, Jonathan soon joining her to offer what comfort he could.


	20. Coming to Terms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!: Severe Psychological Damage.
> 
>  
> 
> Author’s Note: Stuff kinda starts to set in. Be prepared for a hard read.

She was back in the warehouse again, Roger looming over her with a sick grin on his too red lips.  “You little bitch, you passed out before I came.  Guess who you fucking called for?” he snarled, the look in his blue eyes speaking of vindication.  Marie could only feel a dip in her stomach as absolute terror began to fill her.

“No, no!  You were fucking dead!  I saw Selina cut your throat!  I even remember the ride home!  This can’t be fucking happening!” the shaking female gasped, her heart racing as she did her best to scoot away with her freed legs.  In a flash, the larger, stronger man was pressing her to the cool concrete via her neck; making her struggle to breathe.

“Well guess what?  None of that happened!  And guess what else?” he fairly cackled, his voice sounding insane as he leaned in to whisper the rest in her ear, “I’m nowhere near done with you yet you little cunt.”

Then he was releasing her to take a few steps back, a grin on his face that turned her stomach as he brought up the hunting knife still in his hand.  “Let’s start with that face of yours.  Give you a set of scars to match your ‘boyfriend’,” he cooed, turning the sharp implement so it glinted in the dim light.  Then he was placing the razor sharp weapon against her cheek and slicing it opening, filling her mouth with blood and her world with horrific pain.  That was when she began to scream, only getting a sickening laugh from her former lover as he really got to work on her.

Joker paced one of the empty back rooms of the warehouse, his gloved hands clasped tightly behind his lower back as he moved almost aggressively.  His mind was a whirlwind of confusion after Marie’s unthinking confession, the killer simply unable to reconcile the idea that someone that was unbroken loved him.  In fact, he normally would have killed her on the spot for daring to have such sentiment.  The fact that he hadn’t, along with just how... lost he had felt when she had disappeared, disturbed him greatly.  He was supposed to be above such petty feelings, but if that was the case why had his heart skipped a beat during her confession.  Growling in frustration, the confused murderer threw one of his knives at a target; the blade hitting home when the gut wrenching screaming began.

Both he and Crane appeared at the foot of the metal stairs, both wearing identical looks of concern as they rushed up the small flight.  Then they were rushing into the room, the clown shoving the former doctor out of the way to take the screaming, writhing Marie into his purple clad arms.  “Marie!  Wake up!” Joker yelled, shaking her roughly until the blonde eventually regained consciousness; her screams fading for absolute confusion as her gray eyes opened.

“J-j... wh-where... how?” she gasped in a voice that practically tore his heart from his chest as her frightened orbs searched around the room.

“Shhhh, shhh.  You’re at the hideout.  It was just a dream,” the criminal found himself soothing, not even stopping to question what he was doing as the distraught female began to remember what her nightmare had been about.

“I was back there with Roger.  He told me all of  _ this _ had been the dream.  Then he... he...  I can still feel every cut he made on my face as if they really happened,” the terrified female gasped out before she remembered where she was and who she was with.

“Shit, it sounds like she sustained some mental trauma from what that asshole did to her,” Jonathan growled out, a bit of his other half coming out and making his voice a deep rasp.  Joker only shot him a glare as he tried to gain control over his emotions.  Seeing the blonde so distraught was affecting him far more than he would like and he found himself wanting to be alone with her.

“No shit Sherlock!  I wouldn’t be surprised if she developed some sort of PTSD from what he did to her.  If you’re just going to state to obvious, get the fuck out,” the disguised male snarled, his green eyes shimmering with promised violence.

Crane only glared at his partner, his own nerves frayed to their breaking point due to how close they had come to losing Marie.  If she had died... just thinking about it made the thin male shudder with absolute dread.  There would have been no stopping ‘Scarecrow’.  The dark entity that shared his body would have just unleashed all his rage and pain onto Gotham.  Not even the clown in front of him would have been safe, no one would have been with the only thing the crazed darkness cared about gone.  Taking a deep breath, he shifted his cerulean gaze to the shaking Psychologist and forcing himself into a role he hadn’t played in many years.  “Marie,” he whispered in a gentle voice, ignoring the warning growl from Joker as he placed a gentle hand on her upper arm.

The female jerked before turning her terror filled gaze to her former patient.  Then she was flinging herself into his arms and sobbing loudly, the gaunt male comforting her in a way that the ‘Clown Prince’ hadn’t allowed himself to.  Immediately his arms were wrapping tight around her and his lips were at her ear, murmuring comforting things as he rocked her gently.  One of his bony hands played with her sandy locks as her tears wet his shoulder, both of them ignoring the pure rage and jealousy practically rolling off the killer watching them.  “Easy hun.  Just let it all out.  You’re safe,” the lithe man murmured, his voice sounding like two people talking at once as his other half used his body to offer its own brand of comfort.

Soon her sobs were tapering off as she calmed, the twenty-eight year old releasing a watery sigh as she wiped tears from her eyes.  “I’m sorry, I must seem like an absolute fool,” Marie murmured in a soft voice, a purpled nailed hand moving a lock of her slightly curled hair behind her ear.

“No Marie.  It’s understandable that you would have such a bad reaction to such a nightmare,” Jonathan assured, slipping back into his Psychiatrist role easily.  His fellow doctor only shook her head before wiping her eyes.

“Maybe for someone not in my position...,” she whispered quietly, her stormy gaze fixed on the concrete floor as Jasper slowly came out from under the bed to assess the situation.  Silence filled the room after her declaration, Crane shooting Joker a glare.

The painted criminal only glared back, not willing to leave despite the clear message.  Despite his reputation, he had never used her moments of weakness against her.  He had many opportunities but the thought never crossed his mind.  Besides, he wasn’t going anywhere while she was still so distraught.  “Bon Jovi,” he whispered in a soft voice, drawing her reluctant eyes.

“You’ve already trusted me with so much.  Why not trust me to take care of you during your times of weakness?” he continued, the scars on his cheeks giving him an abnormally solemn expression.  The ex-Psychologist could only open her mouth before shutting it again, a thoughtful expression crossing her white face.

“I...  I don’t...  After what happened...,” she murmured her voice growing more and more quiet as her eyes lowered, making it clear she was talking about her confession and his reaction to it.  Only Jonathan wasn’t aware of what she was talking about, his azure eyes moving from the woman in his lap to Joker and back again as he tried to figure it out.

The colorful villain only pursed his ruby lips before his green eyes moved to Crane.  The look in those orbs clearly told the taller man to get out but he seemed to ignore it, only tightening his arms around Marie as she continued to snuggle against him.  Joker lifted his upper lip in response, a gloved hand palming one of his throwing knives as he released a very quiet growl.  The chemist on the floor only narrowed his eyes in response, making a gesture with his head towards the pajama clad female who was practically buried in his bony chest.  The tux clad murderer only stiffened more before heaving a sigh and putting the knife back, running his now free hand through his dyed hair.  “Marie... I... I need to talk to you... alone,” he bit out, hating the fact that he was asking for anything.  He was used to just taking and having to actually consider someone’s feelings felt foreign to him.

Releasing a watery sigh, the still distraught woman gave a small nod before pulling herself out of her former patient’s lap.  Clearing her throat as she picked up her overweight cat, the blonde gave Crane a grateful smile before giving a small nod.  “Thanks Jonathan.  I should be okay now,” she whispered before turning to face the criminal on the bed.  Sighing, the rail thin male pulled himself up before simply giving a nod and leaving.  As soon as the door clicked shut, Joker was pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her as his chin came to rest on the top of her head.

Just smelling his scent helped soothe something inside her and Marie found herself relaxing against the unpredictable male despite herself.  The thought that he could easily kill her and not bat an eye briefly crossed her mind but she tossed it aside.  The man holding her wasn’t known for his patience or compassion.  If he had wanted her dead or broken, he would have done so long ago.  Instead he had shared his past and name with her, even went to look for her when she had been kidnapped.  There was also the fact that he didn’t kill her for her unwanted declaration, something that still kinda shocked her.  “Did you mean it?” came a rasped whisper, nearly making the high strung woman jump out of her skin.

“Wh-what?” gasped the stunned doctor, shifting so she could look up into his hazel eyes.  What she saw there nearly made her heart stop in her chest from fear.

His vibrant eyes were hard and cold as ever, holding a deep rage that faintly made her skin tingle.  “Did you mean it,” he repeated, his voice holding a slight edge as he enunciated each word clearly, making them feel like individual gunshots as he spat them out.  Flinching, Marie lowered her gaze as tears threatened to fall once more.  With the remnants of her dream still haunting her, his ire was just too much for her to handle.

“Please...  I’m sorry,” she found herself whispering, her voice mirroring how she once sounded with Roger and causing the killer beneath her to jolt in place.

In seconds her chin was grabbed in a leather covered grip and yanked upward as she was forced to meet Joker’s cold, dead eyes.  As she stared into those empty orbs, she felt herself slowly relax.  “Answer the question,” he insisted, his voice oddly soft despite the anger still present in his tone; his fingers moving slightly on her skin.

“Y-yes.  I... I love you Jack.  Heaven help me, I fucking love you,” she whispered, her eyes slipping closed as she waited for his reaction.

Instead of whatever she was expecting, the mercurial male was lifting her off his lap and placing her on his bed as he got to his feet.  Opening her stormcloud eyes, Marie saw the purple wearing murderer pacing the floor with an absolutely livid expression on his painted face.  His lipstick coated lips were pulled up into a vicious snarl that was accentuated by his scars.  “You  _ love _ me,” he hissed in a mocking, bitter manner, his leather covered hands knotting in his curly, green hair and tugging.

Then he was turning and charging toward her, scaring the ever skittish Jasper back under the bed when he slammed his open palms down on the mattress on either side on her.  The tip of his nose was touching hers as he sneered down at her, his purple and green clad chest heaving as his eyes locked on hers.  “How can you fucking love me?  What is love anyway but an ideal created by a society trying to make sexual slavery okay!  You end up being with one person only to find out they haven’t been as faithful!  You tie yourselves to another in the hopes of making your filthy selves feel whole!  Love is nothing but a fucking lie!” he screamed, his spit hitting her face due to how close he was.

“Whatever it is, it’s all I have to define just how I feel about you,” she whispered in a soft, but broken voice, her eyes meeting his even as he glowered down at her.

“And how would you say you feel about me,” he snarled in a semi-taunting voice, only serving to add to her distress.  Yet she found it somewhere within herself to answer, honestly praying at this point that he would just leave her alone after.  Right now she needed a good cry and with how he was acting, she didn’t feel comfortable doing it in Joker’s presence.

“I want to protect you, take care of you.  As unpredictable as you can be, I don’t want to leave here.  Being with you and Crane has felt more like a home than my apartment ever did.  When you leave... I feel lonely.  I... I honestly can’t see my life without you in it anymore,” she whispered softly, bracing herself for the inevitable rage.

So when Joker shoved himself away from her with a disgusted expression, Marie wasn’t surprised.  Swallowing the tears clogging her throat, the blonde fought against the vice clamping around her heart.  If she could just last until he left, she could sob herself into another nightmare and start the cycle over.  Just the thought of it brought a semi-hysterical giggle from her lips as the room began to sway and waver before her.  This seemed to draw the killer’s attention back to her but the overwrought female was beyond caring.  Her heart a sore in her chest, she felt her body collapsing as she lost consciousness; the feeling of Joker’s arms catching her the last thing she was aware of.

Marie slipped into what seemed like an eternity of darkness, the only sound a very muffled voice saying something.  She was faintly aware of the feeling of shaking but she was reluctant to leave this quiet darkness.  Outside of this was a reality where she had been raped by her boyfriend and her lover didn’t want anything to do with her love.  It was much easier to stay here, much more comfortable.  Here there was no pain, no nightmares, no broken heart.  Here was just peace and a feeling of safety.  Still, that feeling of shaking was getting very persistent.  Then there was a sudden explosion of pain in the injured side of her face, forcing her out of her purgatory against her will.

As the former Psychologist came to, she was greeted with a black, red and white blur very close to her face.   “That’s it.  There ya go.  Keep comin’ back,” urged a familiar voice, a voice that made pain squeeze around her heart in a tight band.  Moaning softly, the sandy haired female blinked to clear her vision to see Joker giving her a look that switched between worried and disgusted.

“There you are.  There you are,” he murmured in a quiet, worried voice, a complete contrast to the look in his eyes.

Then he was wrapping her into a tight hug, rocking her gently as his lips met her ear; mirroring what Crane had done earlier and confusing the shit out of a very emotionally worn out Marie.  “Joker, you can’t keep flip-flopping like this.  You can’t act like you can’t stand me one minute and comforting the next,” she requested softly, unable to take the contradiction he was presenting her.  His hands only pulsed on her back before he seemed to go completely still.  This was followed by a silence so thick that it only served to exacerbate her torn nerves.

“Please, I really need some quiet right now,” she whispered, bracing herself for his rage at her audacity at asking him to leave.

Instead of going into a rage and slamming the door like she thought, the killer only sighed before nodding slightly.  “Okay,” he conceded before releasing her to reach for one of her books on the near-by dresser and began to read it.  Marie could only blink at him before clearing her throat.  Once his eyes were again focused on her, she gave him a confused look.

“Your actions aren’t exactly helping,” she pointed out cautiously, stunned when the make-up wearing man rolled his eyes at her.

“If you think I’m leaving you again after hearing you scream like that, you have another thing coming,” he bit out, his eyes still holding faint disgust as they locked onto hers.

“Joker...,” she began, only to be stopped by the crazed clown holding up a gloved hand.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that since Crane left.  I could forgive the first time as a mistake but now I’m starting to think it deliberate.  I believe I told you my real name and asked you to use it when we’re alone,” he whispered, his calm voice holding a steely edge as he glared at her expectantly.

“Jack then!  Please!  I can’t...  I can’t handle you looking at me like that after exposing my heart to you not once but twice.  I  _ need _ you to leave,” Marie begged in a shaky voice, flinching when he sat up and set the book aside.  His eyes flashed in response before he was roughly taking her into his arms and forcing her to lay beside him.

“Just... shut up and stop, uh, thinkin’ so much,” he growled before picking up the book and beginning to read once more.

At first Marie tried to squirm away, exceedingly confused by his actions.  She only stopped when he shot her a warning glare, eventually settling her head on his chest.  Said position allowed his scent to fill her nose and she found herself relaxing despite the confusion and outright hurt she currently felt.  Even with what he said, he was acting very much like a concerned, albeit rough boyfriend and it was frankly making her head throb.  Heaving an aggravated sigh, the former doctor decided to do what her lover suggested and simply let the recent events go.  All hanging onto them would do would be to cause undue confusion and heartache.  Righ now, she just had to focus on his actions and not his words.

The dirty blonde came to with a gasp, pain licking fire all over her face where her ex had cut her.  “Tsk, tsk.  If you keep passing out like that we’ll never get to the best part,” a dreaded voice chided as a sick feeling filled her gullet.  No, no this wasn’t fucking possible!  Not again!  Unknowingly screaming out ‘no’ over and over, the bleeding female began to back away from her attacker; only to earn laughter that churned her stomach.

“Sorry sweetheart, this is more real than you’ll ever want,” her ex hissed as he followed her, the blade glinting in the ambient light thrown off by the light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

Suddenly she felt a rough shaking as she was once again rising upward as if through molasses, a painted face slowly coming into view.  The feeling of deja-vu didn’t help her terror and Marie began to fight, only to be held in place by strong hands as a voice whispered in her ear.  “No matter what he says, you’re safe Marie.  No matter what you see, you’re really in the warehouse with me.  Roger is dead and no one will ever harm you again,” the mid-tone voice assured, the soothing tones following her back into sleep.  She never saw the concerned look in Joker’s eyes.


	21. No Time for Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: There is no such thing as downtime for criminals.

After a night haunted by too real nightmares of Roger, waking up to unmitigated chaos was  _ not _ the way Marie wanted to start her day.  Several goons were carrying large, deflated float balloons to a back area of the warehouse while Joker and Crane were busy working on wiring something together.  The rest of the henchmen were simply gophering items back and forth, making a lot of noise as they did so.  Blinking from her position at the top of the stairs, the still shaken female debated on retreating back into the room and locking the door.  Unfortunately, a certain green haired male saw her and headed right to the stairs with a grin on his painted face.

Sighing as she struggled with her leftover emotions and what she was sure was severe emotional trauma, she swept her burnished gold hair out of her pale face as the tux wearing male got closer.  “Mornin!” he chirped as if nothing had ever happened between them.  Sighing and deciding to just let what happened between them last night go, Marie forced a smile onto her strained face.

“Morning Joker.  Just what are you up to today?” she asked as cheerfully as she could muster given everything she had recently been through.  After the night she had she was unsure of what was real.  Even now she was bracing herself to wake up back in a much different warehouse, a mutating Roger looming over her as he made new cuts in her skin.

A hand on her upper arm brought her back to what seemed to be reality and she found the ‘Clown Prince’ giving her an assessing look.  His ruby lips were pursed as his green eyes narrowed slightly.  Then he was ushering her back into his room, closing the door behind him.  Jasper, who was in the middle of eating, gave the pair a baleful glance before cautiously continuing to eat  The overweight pet didn’t like loud yelling or fighting and that had been happening a lot lately.  Wishing she could tell her small companion she had no intention to yell right now, she simply focused her attention on her former patient.  Before she could even ask, his lips were crashed down on hers roughly; his teeth nipping lightly on her lower lip.

Then he was breaking the embrace almost as fast as he initiated it, leaving her head swimming and confused.  Leather covered hands came up to grasp her face before she could even begin to clear her thoughts, bringing her attention to his face.  “You’re really here, with me.  That beast won’t touch you again,” rumbled his mid-tone voice as their eyes met, a brief glimpse of concern passing through his green orbs.  He pressed his make-up coated forehead against hers as his glove covered thumbs brushed her cheeks.  Suddenly he was letting go to back up a couple steps and give her a grin.

“Now get yourself ready!  We have a parade to crash!” he announced, his verdant eyes glimmering with malicious glee.

The former Psychologist could only blink in confusion for a few seconds as she tried to absorb the unusual information.  “A.. a parade?  After all the shit you’ve been pulling around the city?  Are they fucking stupid?” she asked as she walked toward the attached bathroom.  Now would be as good a time as any to show him her new identity.

“The mayor wants to raise morale or something stupid like that.  Batsy, of course, heavily advised against it.  He’ll probably be there if I had to guess,” the killer explained as he followed close on her heels, watching her every move closely.

“Let me guess, you’re going to release a much bigger amount of the Smilex/Fear Gas mixture,”the ex-doctor offered, picking up the tin of white face-paint on the bathroom counter.

“You know me so well!” the villain cooed, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

At first the contact startled her but she soon found herself nuzzling his cheek for a few seconds before beginning to put on the white make-up.  “I’m also guessing the lack of reports of any ill effects bothered you so you decided to increase the sample group,” she continued, picking up some black face make-up and drawing a black spade over her left eye.  The man behind her only chuckled as she put on some black lipstick, approval shining in his usually dead gaze.

“Crane and I are both curious about the effects of this mixture and your description of what Roger looked like only made us more curious,” he replied as he turned her slowly to peruse her disguise.

Feeling more and more at ease despite the tension of the previous day, Marie only rolled her stormcloud gaze as a small grin quirked her colored lips.  “Of course, you scientists are all the same,” she teased as she moved back into the bedroom.  Knowing he was right behind her, the dirty blonde reached out for her purple suit; smiling slightly at the low rumble that followed her picking it up.  Then she was taking a deep breath as she began to strip, all too aware of the gaze roaming over her ample curves.

“I’ve always been the curious sort,” came a breathy husk by her ear as a now bare hand came up to caress a bra covered breast.  Then he was pressing himself flush against her, his clothed arousal resting on her backside as she bent to put on the purple pants.

“Have I told you what seeing you in a suit almost identical to mine does to me?” Rasped the violent, enigmatic man behind her as he began to nip her neck.  Marie couldn’t help but shudder in response, molten need beginning to flood her core.

“Mmm, I don’t think you have,” came her entirely instinctual and surprisingly playful reply as she put a little space between them so she could pull her pants the rest of the way up.  The murderer behind her released a low groan, seeming reluctant to let her get dressed but allowing it anyway.

“Remind me to show ya when we, uh, get home,” his voice rumbled in her ear before he spun her around to face him, backing off so he could see the outfit in its entirety.

After a few minutes of silent assessment, the disguised female found herself feeling just a touch nervous.  Astonishingly, any lingering fears and memories of the warehouse were gone, leaving her feeling as if nothing had ever happened to her.  A bit stunned at this revelation, Marie found herself wondering if this was Joker’s way of helping her move past the trauma she had suffered.  Shaking off the thought as silly and irrational, the ex-Psychologist merely shrugged off his stare to move to the door; only to be stopped by a tight grip on her right wrist.  Turning to look at him, she saw a look in his eyes that made her stomach dip pleasantly.  “You look stunning.  What’s your new name?” the killer asked, his eyes shining with something that made her knees feel a bit weak.

“I just expanded on the temporary name you gave me and called myself ‘Black Spade,’” Marie responded, doing her best to ignore the need beginning to pull at her core.  Despite the rollercoaster he had put her through last night, she found herself just wanting to forget it and move on.

“Black Spade, huh?  I like it!  Let’s get downstairs now, I have a few things I want to show you,” the green haired male announced, before striding to the door with her wrist still in his hand.  The disguised blonde could only follow, slight amusement shining in her gray orbs.

“You just want to show off your new toys,” she chided playfully, easily falling back into lightly joking with her former patient.  It felt natural to have this little back and forth, much more natural than hanging onto hurt feelings.  Besides, it was becoming clear to her that Joker did care for her in his own way; a revelation that made her feel warm on the inside.

Crane was busily rigging an explosive release for the canisters they would be using when the pair began approaching, only looking up from his project when they were right in front of him.  Smiling at Marie warmly, the former Psychiatrist gestured for them to sit at the table he was using.  “You look great,” the gaunt male offered, his cerulean eyes roving over her form freely much to Joker’s displeasure.  In fact, the tux wearing male was giving his partner a look that could kill.

“Thanks.  I chose the name Black Spade so you have something to call me out in the field,” she responded as she sat across from him, her eyes moving to the heap of circuitry the villain behind her had been working on.  It looked like he was rigging up a remote control and receiver for the explosive release device, giving her a feeling of deja vu.

Shaking off the memories of the circus attack, the burnished blonde nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm body sit beside her and an arm wrap loosely around her purple clad waist.  Shifting her gaze, she saw Joker pressing himself against her right side while glowering at Jonathan.  “The name fits you really well.  Has Joker filled you in on what’s on schedule for today?” the thin male replied neutrally, seeming to ignore the daggers the clown across from him was sending with his eyes.

“Yeah, he also wanted to show me what you guys were working on,” she responded easily, as if they were talking about no more than the weather.  It vaguely nagged at the back of her mind that she should feel disgusted with herself but she honestly couldn’t give the thought more credence.  Despite what they would be doing to billions of people, she felt more happy and at peace than she ever had as a Psychologist.

Joker only huffed from beside her before pulling the circuitry towards him.  Then he was going into a lengthy explanation for just how the device would work, right down to syncing the frequency of the remotes and receivers.  He was just getting into how the devices would be attached to the canisters when a loud explosion shook the large building.  “That was just Franz testing out the explosions for the release mechanism,” he sighed calmly before going back to explaining how to solder what wire to which circuit.  Soon the trio were busily wiring their devices to the canisters, Franz bringing them the explosives when he was ready.

By the time they were inflating the floats and organizing the henchmen, Marie found herself slipping into the character of a villain much too easily.  She was even getting excited for the upcoming event, smiling as the huge bay doors opened for the cars to attach to the elaborate floats.  There were two large, fairy tale scenes under matching balloons, revealing two very different stories.  One appeared to be about ‘Alice in Wonderland’ while the other was about ‘Miss Moffet’.  After being handed a top hat by Joker, she didn’t even have to ask which float they would be riding.  Above them would be a rather creepy looking Chesire Cat and March Hare, a pair she much preferred over the huge spiders that hovered above a forest glade.

Then Joker was putting on a matching top hat before leading her to their platform, ignoring the goons that were backing up a van close enough to hook up to the rolling diorama.  “Hang on tight,” he advised, his tongue flicking out to lick his scars as he pulled her against his side.  Then the vehicle pulling them drove forward, very nearly making ‘Black Spade’ fall on her face.  It was only the criminal next to her that kept her upright, a manic glee shining in his green eyes.

“When I give the signal, put this on,” he advised, handing her a tiny, purple gas mask that would fit over her nose and mouth only.  Only giving a nod, the former doctor did her best to get into character; trying not to feel concerned about the excitement blooming in her chest as they entered the sunlight.

The ease with which they were able to fit into the parade was honestly starting but that soon faded for the job she had to do.  If she was going to stay with Joker, she would have to get used to pulling off jobs like this.  Putting a smile on her painted face, ‘Back Spade’ waved to the crowd like she was expected to; keeping on eye on her partner as she did so.  So far he was falling into the character of the ‘Mad Hatter’, sitting on a small table while sipping out of an empty teacup.  His posture told her he was waiting for something and she found herself wondering just what it was.  Her answer came when the procession began to approach town square.

As they got closer, she saw the mayor and Batman standing behind a podium; making a shock of suspicion shoot through.  If she didn’t now any better, this almost looked like a...  Then Joker was hopping down to the ground and signaling wildly, interrupting her train of thought but not getting rid of the fear she felt.  Now that she had scented a set-up, she needed to alert the clown who was readying a remote.  “Joker, wait,” she tried, only to have to duck out of the way of a hookshot.  Wincing and looking up, she was semi-amused the see the hook was bat shaped.  How corny could this guy get?  Then the vigilante himself was ziplining over, landing with a thud right between her and the mastermind of this attack.

‘Black Spade’ watched the events unfold as if in slow motion, only having enough time to send a pointed look to a hidden Jonathan Crane before springing into action  She could only hope he had caught it and that he would help explain to Joker later.  Because what she had in mind would probably look every bit a betrayal.  Putting on the best frightened victim look she could muster, the former doctor went running up to the looming man disguised as a bat.  “Oh thank God you’re here!  Someone had to stop him!” she gushed in as scared of a voice as she could force, grabbing the hero’s rubber covered upper arm in a bid to draw his attention away from the real danger.

Thankfully hearing the plea of a distressed female overrode what little survival instinct the man had and he was turning his masked gaze to her instead of Joker.  “Please, you don’t know how long he’s kept me,” she whispered in a desperate plea, hoping her acting was much better than it sounded.  To her relief, the bat-eared man immediately went into reassurance mode, doing his best to keep his armored body between her and the killer she had come to love; something she wanted at the moment.  Taking a brief moment to hazard a glance around Batman’s shoulder, ‘Black Spade’ very nearly fainted at the bitter anger she saw in Joker’s face.  After all she had shared with him, he couldn’t think she was being genuine?!

Movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention to Crane, who was doing his best to make his way towards them while using the fake landscape to his advantage.  Understanding shown in his steel blue eyes and she felt relief flood her despite the direness of the situation.  “Don’t worry ma’am, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” rasped the leather clad man’s voice, sounding like it was trying to claw its way free of his vocal cords.  Moving her gaze back to her would-be savior, she forced a simpering smile onto her pale face as she slowly stepped back and deliberately brought out her small gas mask.

“Ah, but who’s gonna watch out for you?” she cooed in a voice that didn’t sound like hers before she put the mask in place.  That was when the explosives on the balloons above them went off, releasing a flood of the horrifying gas mixture.

The force of the explosions nearly knocked Batman off his feet, allowing ‘Scarecrow’ to tackle the dark hero; the dark entity twisting Crane’s features into a chilling grin.  Then she nearly got yanked off her feet, barely able to keep her gas mask in place as Joker pulled her behind him.  Taking the cue, she broke into a sprint; only sparing a single glance for Jonathan.  The dark male had hopped free of the vigilante and was following close behind, mad cackles bubbling through his unnatural smile.  In a rush, she was shoved into a van between the two men, the clown to her left howling orders to the driver while the demon beside her twitched.

The thing wearing Crane’s sin was barely able to be considered human, moving unnaturally while watching the movements of others in the vehicle closely.  Then it was turning its crazed, black gaze to her, any trace of blue or sclera eaten up by the midnight flooding the wide orbs.  Just looking into them made her feel ill at ease, as if she were looking into the eyes of something never meant to be wearing human skin.  “What the fuck was that?!” snarled a pissed voice to her left, forcing her focus back onto the livid killer on her other side.

“I couldn’t stop to think, I just did the first thing I could think of to get his focus off you for a bit,” she replied, doing her best not to flinch at the fury in his green eyes.

Before he could respond, the van rocked violently and something landed on the roof.  “Boss!  We got company of the winged rodent variety!” one of the men up front informed, earning an impatient hiss from his purple clad boss.

“Thanks, uh, Captain Obvious,” he chided as something began to cut through the top of the van.  From the looks of it, Batman was using a tiny cutting torch to get through the metal.

Tsking impatiently, the painted murderer cocked his gun before tossing one to the disguised female beside him.  “Yanno, I have ta hand it to him; the man is nothing but prepared,” he observed in a bitter tone as an armored glove punched its way through the small cut.  Then the surprisingly strong vigilante was putting the hunk of metal backwards, revealing the trio in the rear to him.  Before any of them could react, he was reaching for Marie with a grim look on the unmasked part of his face.  

“I know who you are!  Even in the make-up, your eyes are a dead give away!  You have a lot of people looking for you Dr. Jovian,” he tried to reason, nearly making her giggle out loud.

The man honestly sounded like he was trying to lecture Harleen, a picture that made her feel a bit giddy.  Giving the hero reaching for her a falsely grateful smile, she got to her feet and placed her hand in his.  Just before he would have pulled her up, she pulled out the gun Joker had given her.  “Tell those people Dr. Jovian doesn’t exist anymore.  The name is Black Spade,” she whispered before firing the gun into his chest, the impact throwing him off the vehicle.  Silence soon followed along with the sound of the wind as they sped back to the hideout.

“You’re serious about staying,” the clown behind her remarked quietly, causing her to turn to face him.

“Uh, yeah?  Wasn’t the fact that I joined you on three attacks enough for you?  What about when I distracted Batboy there so you could pull off your attack?” she sighed, swaying and nearly falling when the driver hit a bump.

In an instant she was being scooped up and placed in Joker’s lap as he sat down, ‘Scarecrow’ sitting right beside him.  Jonathan was slowly coming back but the dark being sharing his body continued to watch her, a strange affection shining in his void-like eyes.  “Batboy, I’ll have to remember that one,” the tux wearing killer chuckled as the van turned so sharply it came very close to turning over.  Then the cumbersome vehicle was coming to a stop and Joker was throwing open the doors before carrying her inside, a thoughtful look on his scarred, painted face.

As soon as they were in their shared room, he was shutting and locking the door before placing her on the bed.  “Yanno, I’ve never had someone actually wanna  _ be _ with me.  Especially after I started doin’ all of, uh, this,” he murmured as he pulled back to remove his heavy, cotton tux coat.  Marie could only nod in response, shrugging her own coat off as she kept her gaze locked on his.

“You can’t really blame them, it takes a pretty twisted person to get along with you,” she teased, the irony of her words not lost on her.  The look he gave her in return made her nipples come to attention as desire flooded her body in a hot flush.

“Really?  Then what does that make you kitten?” he purred, the scars at the corners of his mouth accentuating his smirk as his undid his tie and then began to unbutton the green, silk vest he wore.

“Downright crazy because, despite everything you’ve said yesterday, I love you with all of my heart,” she whispered, her hands shaking as she removed her own vest and matching blue shirt.  She remembered the last time she had made this confession all too well, making her all the more nervous about this time.

Her fears were only rectified when the room went utterly silent, a quiet tension beginning to fill the small space.  “I know how you feel about sentiment, especially love.  But, that doesn’t stop my feelings from existing.  You don’t have to love me back, I just want you to know that’s how I feel,” she whispered, watching her purple nailed fingers as she undid the last buttons on her shirt.  A bare hand shooting out and grabbing her wrist stopped her movement and she found herself looking up slowly as her heart raced in her chest.  What she saw when she met his gaze nearly made her pull her hand back out of sheer fear.

His hazel eyes shone with an intense emotion as he glared down at her, his lipstick coated lips pursed.  Then his free hand was shooting out and fisting itself in the hair at the back of her head, tightening until tears prickled her stormy eyes.  “You keep saying you love me.  Do you have any idea what it is that you love?  There is nothing but a monster here, nothing but hate for anyone merely living a peaceful life.  Even now I could kill you and not blink an eye,” he snarled in a heated tone, his furious eyes locked on hers as he practically sneered down at her.

“If that’s true, then why were you so happy to see me after Selina saved me from Roger,” the blonde countered, her voice calm despite the fear racing in her veins.  Joker only growled in response before his lips took hers in a rough kiss, his hands releasing her to remove her shirt the rest of the way.

Breaking the kiss, he removed one of her breasts from her bra; latching onto her pink bud with a noise that made her core pulse.  Gasping in surprise and pleasure, Marie found her hands winding into his lime green locks as he suckled noisily.  While he was tongueing and nipping her skillfully, his right hand came up to massage her neglected breast; drawing a moan from her quivering, black lips.  Then he was breaking the kiss to huff through his nose, backing up slightly as displeasure shone in his eyes.  “Wash off the make-up,” he ordered, leaving her feeling bereft and more than just a little confused.


	22. Becoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Yeah, I needed to break up the last chapter as it was getting a bit long. You’ll see why. Also, my apologies for delays. I had Pneumonia and had to take some time to get better.

Looking at her once again clear face, Marie couldn’t help but wonder why Joker had demanded she removed her disguise.  Shrugging it off as one of his eccentricities, the blonde merely dried her face before exiting the bathroom.  To her shock, she was greeted to a pitch black bedroom once she left; making a rush of fear wash through her body.  Even with her eyes open as wide as they could go, she could see nothing; filling her with a deep sense of unease.  Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the former doctor closed her eyes for a few moments to allow them to adjust to the lack of light.  Thankfully, just doing that for a few minutes allowed her to make out dim shapes; making it possible for her to make her way to the bed.  She only made it a few steps before she heard a familiar chuckle right behind her.  “Much better,” purred a certain killer’s midtone voice right by her ear.  Then a pair of hands descended on her still clothed shoulders as a warm kiss landed on her cheek.

Shuddering slightly at the contact, the mostly blind female turned her gaze in a vain attempt to see villain.  She wasn’t too surprised when she only saw his very faint silhouette.  “Why are all the lights off?” She found herself asking as she subconsciously backed toward the bed.

“Let’s see if you can figure that out on your own,” he replied, his shadowy figure following her closely until the backs of her legs hit the mattress.

Meeping and windmilling her arms uselessly, the overbalanced female fell back onto the mattress with a soft noise.  Chuckling, Joker slowly crawled over her prone body until the tip of his nose rested against hers.  “Relax babe.  Ya know I’m not gonna, uh, hurt ya,” he murmured as he laid his naked, lightly muscled body along hers.  Then he was kissing her lightly, his hands fumbling with the jacket of the purple suit she still wore.  Despite the fact she couldn’t see him, something felt different about the criminal.  Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  It was only when the clothes on her torso were removed and his mouth latched onto one of her breasts that she figured out just what it was.

As she arched her back and moaned involuntarily, her hands came up to cup his face to hold him in place; feeling only soft skin beneath her fingers.  “J-jack, y-you’re not...,” she began, her word interrupted by the gasp that left her lips as he switched sides.

“Wearing any make-up? Yeah, I know,” he husked, sitting up so he could remove her pants and underwear in a singular movement.  Then his lips were taking hers, taking away her ability to ask questions as he settled himself between her thighs.

After few moments, Marie found herself giving into what was happening as her arms wrapped around his neck and her mouth opened to his assault.  Gone were the questions about why he was doing this, rapidly replaced with an almost painful need for the murderer above her.  Even in her haze of lust, the ex-psychologist knew just what removing his disguise like this could mean; the possibilities making her heart race as her hands tried to touch all of him at once.  As if entertained by her sudden franticness, Jack pulled back to give her what she could assume was an amused look due to the lack of any ambient light.  “If I knew it would be this easy to get ya all over me, I woulda taken off the make-up long ago,” he teased in a throaty voice just before his teeth clamped lightly on the pulse of her jugular.

The slight feeling of pain made need flare in her lower body, the thick lust becoming a coil of pulsing want.  Moaning as she leaned into the gentle bite, the thrashing female ran her purple nails down Joker’s bare, muscled back; drawing an animalistic sound from the taller male.  Huffing hot breath against her neck, he pulled back so he could once again take a nipple into his eager mouth; his hands moving down to rest at her wide hips as he suckled her slowly.  Each pass of his skilled tongue only served to tighten the spring within her, forcing breathless keens from her lips as she squirmed beneath him.  “Jack, oh Jack I need you,” she gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist so his erection rested firmly against her aching womanhood.

Growling low in his throat, he released her pink sweet to rest his forehead against hers; his breathing ragged as he rubbed himself along her passage.  “Beg me for it, let me hear how much ya want me,” he husked out in a strained voice, his rough hands twitching on her hips as he shuddered against her.

“Please, please Jack.  I need to feel you inside me, stretching me,” the lust fogged female gasped, the only thing on her mind her extreme need to satisfy the roaring ache centered in her nethers.

Just hearing her breathless pleas made the violent male shake slightly as a deep noise bubbled up from his chest.  Burrowing his face into the crook of her neck, he inhaled deeply as he angled himself to enter her; moving forward achingly slow until he was fully hilted in her silken walls.  Then everything froze, Joker pressing kisses all over her face as he remained still.  “Just... just give me a few minutes like this,” he begged in an emotion filled voice, his arms wrapping around her tightly as he continued to pepper her skin with kisses.  Then he was pulling out oh so slowly, drawing a deep groan from Marie as she arched into his warm body.

“Fuck, you’re so tight; so wet,” rasped his unsteady voice from somewhere above her, his naked lips taking hers hungrily as he slowly entered her again.

“Ja-ack,” the blonde moaned, her hands reaching up to cup his scarred cheeks as he took her slowly and sweetly.  The criminal only grunted in response, shifting slightly as he fumbled with something on the nightstand beside the bed.

Suddenly she found herself blinded as light flooded the room, a slight hiss leaving her lips as Joker continued to move lazily within her.  “Look at me,” he rasped, leaning back so she could see his face when her eyes adjusted to the harshness of the light.  Whimpering, Marie forced her aching eyes to open; unable to see more than a blur at first.  Then, ever so slowly, her eyes adjusted enough to allow her to see his true face.  The skin itself was pale, dark, almost purple blotches circling his glittering eyes.  His lips were a slightly redder pink due to being dyed from his lipstick and his pink scars curled the corners of his lips.  The deep gashes were soft and not nearly as angry as she thought they would be, blending in easily with the skin around them.  It was then she noticed the villain has gone stone still, his green eyes full of apprehension as he stared down at her.

“You’re beautiful Jack,” she whispered, meaning every word as she leaned up to capture his plush lips in a gentle kiss.

“Marie,” he rasped in a breathless voice, his hips moving once again as he began to take her once more.

Rough hands tightened on her hips as he began to move faster with a groan, every stroke of him inside her causing sparks of pleasure to dance through her veins.  His name soon became a mantra on her lips, her eyes never leaving his face as she felt an indescribable pressure building up inside her.  Then her vision was filling with white as she felt herself explode, his name leaving her in pants as he stilled; spilling himself into her with a rough growl of her name.  Before she could even begin to gather her wits, the naked killer was laying her down and laying beside her; pulling a blanket up to covered their bodies.  Strong arms came up to accompany the blanket, wrapping around her shaking body to hold her close; a pair of lips resting on her sweaty forehead.

After a few moments of silence, the former doctor looked up at the man that had essentially changed her life forever; only to find he was studying her just as closely.  His naked lips were pursed as he seemed to mull things over in his head, reaching over with a lazy hand to turn off the lamp on the night stand.  “No, please leave it on for a minutes longer,” she found herself requesting.  To her disbelief, her lover only narrowed his eyes before giving a slight nod.

“You can say it if you want,” he bit out, his out of nowhere statement startling the piss out of her.  Blinking, she gave him a confused look as she tried to understand what he meant.

“Er, what are you talking about?” the confused woman whispered, startling when he gave her an impatient glare.

Suddenly he was looming over her, his hazel eyes shining with slight anger as he seemed to press his weight into her.  “You know damn well what I’m talking about.  You keep saying it despite me not wanting you to.  Are you honestly telling me you’re not going to say it now that I  _ want _ you to?” he bit out, his gruff voice holding a hint of amusement as he rested the tip of his nose on hers.

“Wh-wha?” the bewildered female gasped out, only to be more confused when he rolled his eyes at her in a playful manner.

“Ya know, a certain four letter word that I happen to think is very stupid,” he pressed, tsking grouchily when the golden haired Psychologist gave him a blank look.

“I’m sorry, I’m really at a loss here.  Could you maybe give me a bit more to work with here?” she responded, thinking back on everything that had happened recently and coming up with nothing.  The only thing she could think of was...

Suddenly comprehension washed over her in a cold rush, making her stare up at the undisguised male.  The green haired killer only watched her expression change, a self satisfied grin on his pale face.  “Y-you want me to tell you I... I love you?” she ventured nervously, getting a passionate kiss in response.

“Took ya long enough,” he husked before turning off the lamp and plunging them into darkness.

Marie could only stare at the last spot she had seen the confusing villain, a bemused expression on her pale face.  As much as she wanted to ask him why he had changed his mind, she knew full well him removing his make-up had been a huge step.  Pushing him any further would be an exercise in folly.  Instead she just sighed and curled up in his strong arms, allowing his scent to lull her.  “I... I love you Jack,” she whispered hesitantly, tensing as she prepared for the normal bomb to go off.  To her utter shock, he merely pressed a kiss to her forehead as he began to pet her golden locks affectionately.

“Yeah, I’m startin’ ta believe ya,” rasped his sleepy sounding voice as his arms tightened briefly.  The exhausted female only shook her slightly before nestling into his bare chest and allowing herself to fall asleep.  She never saw the contemplative look her companion was giving her.

“I’m also startin’ ta feel the same,” he sighed quietly, watching the dirty blonde until he lost his own battle with sleep.

The next morning, the former doctor awoke with a horrible feeling in the pit of her gut; barely making it to the bathroom before she was tossing her cookies.  As she heaved and gagged into the porcelain bowl, a cold wave of fear crashed over her.  But that simply couldn’t be possible!  Surely no God would be so cruel as to do this to her on top of everything she had gone through recently.  Surely it was just some stomach bug and not what she was dreading!  As another wave cramped her empty stomach, she found herself believing that little lie less and less.  “Bon Jovi?  What’s going on?” came a sleepy, wholly unwelcome voice at the open doorway, making terror take over the nausea overwhelming her system.

“J-jack, I think we have a problem,” she gasped out just before she heaved into the toilet once more.  The undisguised male only watched, comprehension dawning over his pale face.

Sobbing once the most recent wave had passed, Marie pressed her clammy forehead against the cool bowl; cursing Mother Nature for being an absolute bitch.  “You know what this could mean right?” she gasped out in a weak, scared sounding voice.

“Marie...,” came a quiet, almost angry sounding response, only serving to spike the outright terror beginning to form within her.

“I could be carrying Roger’s child.  What are we gonna do?  It’s not as if I can just waltz into an abortion clinic and doing it at home is exceedingly dangerous,” she said in a rush, avoiding looking at her lover as her stomach roiled.  A hand descending on her shoulder nearly had her shooting up to the ceiling and she turned her head to look at a still make-upless Joker.

The green haired criminal towered over her easily, his bare lips pursed as he gave her a stern look.  “It could also be mine.  We did have sex before you were kidnapped,” he reminded, his green eyes glittering with a strange light.  His stunned lover could only give him a miserable glance before she was dry heaving into the toilet again.

“Are you really willing to take the chance that it isn’t yours?” the former doctor whispered in a shaky voice, her entire body shuddering from fear and stress.

“What I’m not willing to do is risk your life over something that might not even be a problem.  Stay here and don’t do anything stupid.  I’ll be right back,” he bit out, his hand tightening slightly before he simply stalked out of the bathroom.

Marie could only stare at him from her position in front of the porcelain bowl, her stomach still painfully unsettled.  As disgusted as she was at the mere possibility of giving birth to Roger’s child, she wasn’t stupid.  She knew just how unsanitary and dangerous a home abortion was.  It would be far more safe to just give birth to the child and deal with it after.  That didn’t mean she was necessarily okay with that option.  Whimpering slightly, the weary female breathed through her nose in a vain effort to calm her gullet.  At this point she could only hope the child she gave birth to resembled her lover enough to assuage her fear of it being Roger’s.  “You know, you could have picked a better time little one,” she sighed, startling slightly at the sound of two pairs of footsteps.

Looking up, she saw a make-up smeared Joker and concerned looking Jonathan Crane standing in the doorway.  “Oh sweetie...  Do you think you could keep anything down right now?” the gaunt male whispered, coming into the room to kneel beside her and place a gentle hand on her upper back.  The woozy professional could only shake her head miserably, gagging slightly despite her best efforts not to.

“Alright, that’s okay.  I have a few syringes,” Crane assured, looking over his shoulder at Joker.  The agitated looking criminal only nodded curtly, his blazing gaze fixed on the sick woman.

Wasting no time, the ex-doctor gently took her right, upper arm in his bony grip; placing the plastic needle in his mouth as he swabbed her arm with an alcohol soaked cotton ball.  Taking the filled cylinder out of his mouth, the dark haired male wrapped a plastic tube around her bare bicep and tied it tight to make her veins more prominent.  “You’re going to feel a tiny pinch,” he advised, placing the sharp metal point against the artery in the crook of her arm.  Marie only nodded again in agreement, going completely limp to mitigate any pain.  Jonathan gave her a small smile before pushing the needle in and pressing the injector.

Within moments, her stomach unknotted and her nausea abated; causing her to sigh heavily in relief.  “Dare I even ask what that was?” she sighed, rubbing the injection spot after her former patient put a bandage on it.

“Just a little cocktail.  Perfectly harmless, I assure you.  I even made it into a pill you can take before bed to avert the morning sickness entirely,” the chemist remarked, helping the weakened female to her feet.  An action that drew a possessive sounding snarl from the killer behind him.

Simply ignoring his partner, Crane picked his dear friend up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom; laying her gingerly on top of the sheets.  “Now it may make you a bit drowsy but that will pass in a few minutes.  After that you should feel right as rain for the rest of the day.  I just wouldn’t recommend eating anything too heavy,” he advised, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead as he sunk down to sit on the right side of the mattress.  The weary blonde only nodded, a grim expression on her strained face.  Knowing just what was on her mind, Jonathan reached forward to grab her chin in a firm grip, turning her head to face him.

Behind him, Joker broke into a loud growl; looking about an inch away from tearing the other male away from what was his.  The only thing that stopped him was the apparent comfort she took from the embrace.  Crane, on the other hand, simply ignored his irate partner to focus on the woman in his arms; worry clenching his chest as she clung to him like a security blanket.  “I know you’re worried this child might belong to Roger but there is just as good of a chance of it being Jack’s.  Please try not to dwell on it too much, it won’t be good for either of you,” the bony man urged, his blue eyes full of worry as they locked on her gray ones.

The straw haired female only gave a small nod, a sardonic grin curling her lips.  “Yeah, I know but that’s going to be easier said than done.  I don’t relish the possibility of carrying and giving birth to the spawn of the beast that raped me,” she sighed, no real venom to her voice as she placed a purple nailed hand on her still flat stomach.  To her shock, another hand soon covered hers; causing her to look up to see Joker hovering over her.  The normally put together clown’s make-up was haphazardly slapped on, making his face look like a mess of smeared black, red and white.  Near panic also hovered in his normally dead eyes, taking her breath away the moment she realized it was there.

“I don’t care whose it is at this point, I just want your word you won’t do anything fucking stupid.  I... I...,” he snarled, his voice thick with emotion as he struggled with the words trying to come out of his mouth.

“Crane, fucking give us a minute!” the stressed criminal bit out, his purple clad shoulders shaking slightly as the thinner male took his leave.

Once the other man was gone, Joker was wrapping her into a tight hug; a strange noise bubbling up from his chest as his hands roamed her upper back.  “Just... just the thought of losing you...  I can’t...,” he whispered in a shaky voice, his nose burying itself in her burnished gold locks as he inhaled deeply.  Marie could only blink as she tried to process just what was happening.  Then he was pulling back to grip her shoulders, his green eyes holding a dangerous sheen as he bared his teeth at her.  The scars only accentuated the terrifying expression, making the ex-doctor shrink back in fear.

“Fucking promise me I won’t come home to find you dead on the bathroom floor with blood pooled between your legs and a coat hanger in your hands,” the murderer hissed out, his hands tightening painfully.

Releasing a slight whimper of pain, Marie could only give him a bewildered look.  “I may be disgusted at the chance I may be giving birth to the child of my tormentor but I’m not stupid Jack.  I know just how risky doing it yourself can be.  The thought never even crossed my mind.  As much as I don’t want to, its in my best interest to just give birth,” she replied in a surprisingly calm voice, especially given the speed her heart was currently beating.  The green haired male didn’t relax, only closed his eyes as he released a heavy sigh.

“Just... uh, humor me,” he hissed, his tongue flicking out to lick his scars as he slowly reopened his eyes to meet hers.

“Alright Jack, I promise not to do anything stupid,” she whispered, her mind buzzing with what all of this could possibly mean.  It could mean he actually loved her but that seemed a bit silly.  She could be just reading too much into his actions and inadvertently getting her hopes up, a possibility that was much more likely.

This response seemed to mollify the tux wearing male as he slumped briefly.  Then he was getting off the bed to head into the bathroom, probably to fix his hastily done make-up job.  “When you start getting farther along, you’re going to start staying behind.  I’m already hesitant to even take you on jobs anymore but it should be fine as long as we give you body armor.  You won’t be going on any mission with a high probability of getting shot however.  Why take the risk,” he rambled from the small room.  Once again, Marie could only blink; her heart clenching warmly despite herself.  It almost sounded like he was honestly starting to care for her.

“Sounds fair to me.  Should I call you during missions if I start to have complications?” she whispered, the possibility honestly scaring her.  If she started to miscarry, there would be nothing they could do.  She would have to rely on the physician skills of Jonathan along with whatever equipment they had around.  The probability of her dying under such a circumstance was very high and she suddenly found herself sick to her stomach despite the medication.

“Depends on what ya mean by complications.  If you have cramping or bleeding, even nausea not helped by Crane’s medicine; you need to call me.  If ya just want something you’re craving, wait til I get home.  When ya go into labor, you call me no matter what I’m doing and say ‘Tea’s done’; got that?” came his semi-joking response, making her giggle despite the anxiety clamping her chest.

“Really?  Why am I not surprised you’d pick that phrase,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes as she felt the drowsiness Jonathan had mentioned.

“Because ya know me so well,” chirped his pleased voice just before he entered the room with his make-up back in place.

“Much better,” the resting female purred, feeling unusually relaxed as the medicine began to take full effect.  Joker only gave her a small grin before moving to sit on the right side of the bed.

His bare hands easily found her sandy hair, tangling themselves in the slightly curly locks and running through it slowly.  “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s much better,” purred his pleased mid-tone as his verdant eyes shined down on her fondly.  Then his lips were pressing on hers oh so gently, his tongue lightly licking her lips for entry.  Entry she gave with a soft noise, her arms wrapping around his neck.  His tongue entered her slowly, almost sensually, licking at every nook and cranny in her mouth as his own hands cradled the back of her head.

“Mmm, if you didn’t need breakfast I would take you again before we went downstairs,” he rumbled before he was standing and scooping her into his arms in one fluid motion.

Letting out an embarrassing eep, Marie clung onto his neck as her heart pounded against her ribcage.  Jasper, who was hiding under the bed once again, let out an irritable meow at the loud couple; letting them know he was very hungry and their shenanigans were keeping him from his food.  “And it sounds like you aren’t the only one who should eat,” Joker teased before he was carrying her out of the room and down the stairs.  Ignoring all the stares he was getting, the purple clad killer strode to the table and sat down; placing her on his left side.  The former Psychologist could only roll her eyes playfully before taking a plate of light food from Crane, digging in as her lover began to outline his plans for the day.


	23. Moving Chess Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I wanna take some time to thank all of the people reading and enjoying this fiction. I’m so glad so many people are liking this so far. Also, if you know what that quote is from later in this chapter, you’re awesome.

“You don’t understand!  She stole mah sugar away!  If she had never come Mistah J would have never been led astray by her,” the infuriated blonde snarled, flinging her bi-color jester’s cap onto the bare wood of the floor.

“That’s not what I saw when he came to collect her.  The man was worried sick for her.  Harleen, sweetie, I think he loves her,” Selina tried to reason despite every instinct inside her screaming at her not to.

“How can ya say something like that!  Mistah J loves  _ me _ !  I thought you two were my friends,” the petulant female bit out, her blue eyes narrowed as she glared at the pair across from her in an accusatory manner.

“We  _ are _ your friends!  That’s why we’re trying to talk you out of this dear.  I know you love that man on an obsessive level but try to pull back and actually think.  When he’s around her I bet he acts a lot differently doesn’t he?  Hun, Joker was always just using you!  Marie, on the other hand, I think he honestly cares about her,” the cat burglar continued, on guard just in case the pigtailed woman was going to try anything stupid.

Harley’s eyes darkened as her red and black gloved hands curled into shaking fists.  Yet, under her roiling rage, she knew her friend was right.  It had been a long time since Joker had given her a look anywhere similar to the ones he gave the whore, let alone treated her well.  The man had treated her like a bother for years now, often hitting her when she did something he didn’t particularly like.  There was also the little fact that she had never been allowed to even go near his room without him.  The times she had forgotten, he would do his best to make sure she didn’t forget again.  Despite all of that, however, she couldn’t accept it.  She loved the criminal too much to accept it.  “No!  No, you’re fucking wrong!  Mah puddin’ loves me and only me,” the crazed femme snarled, reaching over her shoulder for Reginald.

In a flash, the jester suit clad female found herself wrapping up in vines and suspended in the air.  Ivy glared up at her, her vibrant eyes flashing with deadly intent.  “Were you just about to shoot my little kitten?  Over a man you know damn well never loved you in the first place?  I’m sorry Harleen but we can’t accept this behavior.  You’re no longer welcome in our house,” the deadly female hissed, commanding the vines to carry Harley out with a wave of a green tinted hand.

“Fine!  I don’t need you anyway,” the crimson and midnight clad thief snarled, tears streaming down her half masked cheeks.  Then she found herself dumped on the ground, the front door slamming behind her as her hat fluttered down on her lap.

Brushing her suit off, the former doctor sniffled as she straightened her ponytails, grabbed her hat and got to her booted feet.  Despite what she had said, her heart was slowly breaking due to everyone around her slowly abandoning her.  Those two women had been her friends ever since Joker had brought her into this dark world.  Those days he had almost acted like he loved her but, looking back, she had to wonder if he really did.  Even back in the early days he had gotten impatient easily, seeming to almost flinch at contact with her.  He had even brushed her away several times, a sour look on his painted face.  If she was truly honest with herself, it was doubtful Joker had ever really cared for her.

Wiping her eyes angrily, the blonde squeezed her eyes shut as she fought to cling to the delusion that the villain had loved her.  Her heart clamped in her chest as she breathed heavily through her nostrils, jamming her hat down on her head.  “I’ll show them, he  _ does _ love me,” she hissed, ignoring what her heart and mind were telling her.  Narrowing her cerulean eyes, she ignored her logic and simply went with her emotions; pulling out a cellphone as she walked away from the ramshackle house.

“Hey Hatter, I think I found Alice,” she hissed, ignoring the sick feeling of guilt blooming in her stomach.

Groaning, Marie opened her gray eyes to see Jonathan Crane sitting in a chair beside her bed; fast asleep.  Blinking, she felt a familiar and unwanted nausea twist her stomach; answering all of her questions quite efficiently.  “Mmm Jonathan,” she whispered, startling when the thin male popped awake immediately.  The person that stared at her wasn’t her friend.  The eyes that locked with hers were pure black and held a deep craziness that she knew all too well.

“Mmmmaaarieee,” hissed Scarecrow, a strange, disturbing facsimile of a shaky smile curling his borrowed lips.

Just seeing her former patient’s darker half sent a chill of fear through her but she forced a small smile onto her face.  Despite how he made her instinctually feel, he had done nothing but try to protect her.  In his own way, the dark thing cared for her.  So, it was without a thought that she offered her arm to the crazed being that shared Jonathan’s body.  Scarecrow’s eyes widened in response, surprisingly gentle hands grasping her upper arm.  Then he was dutifully injecting her, Crane’s knowledge obvious in his movements.  Once he was done, the dirty blonde cautiously leaned forward; watching the dark being’s reaction closely.  To her shock, he barely flinched; his dark orbs only holding a curious expression.

Feeling slightly warm at the amount of trust this creature had for her, the former Psychologist placed a small kiss on his cheek.  Scarecrow went board stiff at first, inhaling sharply; this reaction making her draw back due to thinking she had overstepped boundaries with the dark being.  “I’m sorry Scarecrow.  I was just...,” she began before her lips were taken in a fierce but passionate kiss.  Before she could even gather her wits enough to realize just what was happening, he was breaking the kiss to rest his too cold forehead against hers.

Midnight met gray as their eyes locked, the thing called Scarecrow giving her a half frightened, half loving look.  “Sssooorry.  Wanted to do that long time.  You showing less fear, trusting more.  Know you belong to...  _ him _ ,” it rasped, shuddering slightly as its host began to stir.

“I-its okay.  Just don’t let Joker see you do that or he’ll gut you on the spot.  I honestly don’t think I could handle that.  Jonathan has been a good friend to me and you... you’ve become pretty dear to me too after seeing how protective you’ve become,” the twenty-eight year old responded in a dazed voice, just grateful for the fact that her morning sickness was fading.

The crazed looking thing wearing her friend’s skin smiled in such a way that it looked like a creature that had never done so trying to learn how.  Seeing it chilled her down to her very soul but forced herself to return it anyway.  This dark thing couldn’t organically be any part of Crane, it seemed far too inhuman and caused too many instinctual reactions.  Still, she found none of that really mattered to her.  After what she had seen, it had been made clear to her that the being was very protective of her; maybe even loved her in its own way.  “Are important to ussss, to me.  Trust you, will protect you,” Scarecrow sighed, spasming again as its borrowed hands came up to cup its head.

“Jonathan coming.  Cannot... stay.  Are... are friends?” the dark creature husked, a hint of shyness in its voice.

A bit bewildered but smiling to reassure... him, Marie wrapped her arms around the thing disguised as her former patient and pulled him into a hug.  “Of course we are Scarecrow.  Just as long as you don’t suddenly change your mind and I wake up to find myself your new experiment,” she teased lightly, regretting her joke when she felt him stiffen.

“Never...  Would die before we allowed any harm to come to you,” hissed his dark voice, his arms coming up to wrap around her.  Then he twitched hard, a pained noise bubbling up from his chest.

Suddenly an entirely different scent was filling her nose and it felt like another person was holding her, signalling Crane had pushed his way forward.  From the feeling of his hands pulsing on her upper back, the ex-doctor seemed utterly shocked at the position he found himself in.  “M-marie?” came his confused voice, his entire body tense as he seemed to fight with himself.

“Its okay Jonathan.  Scarecrow and I were getting better acquainted.  Looks like I’m part of the inner circle now,” the Psychologist assured, pulling back to give him some space.  To her shock, his arms only tightened.

Craning her head so she could see his face, the pajama clad woman saw the thin chemist giving her a look of utter disbelief mixed with a heartbreaking resignation.  “It actually told you it accepted you?  It  _ embraced _ you?  What else did it do?” the gaunt but handsome man murmured, a sad acceptance slowly taking over the resignation in his blue eyes.

“He,” she corrected without thinking, not surprised at the blank look the criminal gave her.

“He, not it.  He... he kissed me,” the young woman clarified, fighting the horrible urge to giggle at the nonplussed expression that crossed Crane’s face.

“What?  It... he... kissed you?!  Also, when the Hell did you start referring to... Scarecrow as having a gender?  He doesn’t technically have one,” the black haired killer responded, a slightly jealous expression in his now cerulean gaze.

Marie could only tilt her head at this bit of information.  Did Crane actually know what the being was?  If he did, did she want to find out what he knew?  To be honest, the prospect of discovering more about the entity scared her to her very marrow.  The thing felt wrong, evil; her very soul protesting at his presence whenever he made an appearance.  Surely having the knowledge Jonathan did would only serve to drive her as crazy as he now was.  “As odd as it seems, he did kiss me.  He’s... changing Jonathan.  He’s nowhere near as mindless as I was when I first met him.  He’s even seeming to feel fear for at least me, something I doubt he’s familiar with.  What... what is he?” she found herself asking, wishing she could rewind and erase her words.

Dead silence greeted her question, Jonathan’s hold on her never loosening.  Heaving a sigh, the rail thin male looked at her with disturbingly dead eyes before a crazed smile quirked his lips.  “If you knew what I knew, you wouldn’t even remotely be trying to humanize it.  It has never felt anything but hate and anger.  It made me do... terrible things, kill so many people.  So many girlfriends, dead and staring up at me while I try to remember why their blood is on my hands!  Then there was the Fear Serum.  Watching in horror as the first died, growing to enjoy it like it did later.  Knowing I was becoming just as twisted as it was and being unable to do anything about it! Now you expect me to believe it is suddenly feeling?!” he snarled, breathing hard through his nose as hatred and fear flashed through his eyes.

Marie could only give her friend a horrified look, her heart aching for the pain and guilt clear in his voice.  “I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through and I know I could never have any idea what that felt like.  But he seems so different now.  You and I both know he’s not much for patience, so if he wanted to kill me he would have done it now that he has ample opportunity.  You’ve even been able to control him better and you’re even able to stay yourself during the night.  I know he has done a lot of wrong but I don’t think he really knew what wrong was.  In fact, like I said before, I doubt he’s ever felt anything like fear or concern for another,” she reasoned, cupping his right cheek in an effort to comfort him.

Sighing, Crane closed his eyes before resting his forehead against hers.  Then his lips were seeking hers, much more gentle and shy than Scarecrow’s.  The embrace was so sweet and exploratory that the sandy haired femme couldn’t help but respond, kissing him back but keeping it platonic.  Then the ex-Psychiatrist was breaking the kiss, chuckling gruffly as tears slid down his bony cheeks.  “Oh Marie, how I wish we had met under different circumstances.  Maybe then I would have stood a chance.  As it is...,” he started, stopping when something small and shaped like a dormouse was thrown through the window of the room.

“Twinkle, twinkle little bat.  How I wonder where you’re at.  Up above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky.  Twinkle, twinkle little bat.  How I wonder where you’re at,” played a tinny sounding song from the tiny device just before the room exploded into purple gas.

“Sleeping gas!  Marie, run!” screamed Crane, his voice slowly tapering off before a thump came from his direction.

“Jonathan!” the distraught woman screamed, fighting off the permeating drowsiness as she watched a figure slip into the room  She saw a flash of purple and had just enough time to wonder why Joker was knocking her out before her world went black.

Groaning, she sat up on the soft thing she was laying on as she held her aching head.  Within moments, Marie remembered just what had happened and shot her head up to look around; dropping her jaw at what she saw.  It looked like she had been transported straight into the tea party scene from ‘Alice in Wonderland.’  She had been sat on top of a huge mushroom in front of a very long table that was covered in teacups.  Though it seemed she was outside, she could see the corners of the room if she looked hard enough.  Whoever had done the painting was obviously skilled.  “Alice!  You’re finally awake!” came a slightly accented, slurred voice from behind her.

Surprised to find herself unbound, the sandy haired woman turned her stormy gaze to an area behind her.  It was then she became very aware of the fact her clothes had been changed entirely.  “What... what’s going on?” she whispered, looking down to see herself in a familiar looking powder blue dress that had a white, apron-like item that extended over her torso and shoulders.  Even her hair felt different, prompting her to feel her head with her fingertips.  To her shock, she felt a plastic headband holding her slightly curly locks back.  It was almost as if whoever had done this was trying to dress her like Alice from the Disney version of the movie.

“I’ve brought you back home Alice.  It’s been so long since me and March-y have seen you.  You’ve been such a naughty little girl, hiding from me all of these years,” replied the voice from earlier, making her eyes shoot back to the person behind her.

The man was tall but shorter than Joker and skeletally thin, causing his patchwork looking purple tux to hang off his bony frame.  His neck was thin and bony, making his head seem bigger than it was as well as made his Adam’s apple more prominent.  He had a massive overbite, his too large, slightly crooked teeth poking over his lower lip.  His large, hooked nose didn’t help with the illusion of over large features and neither did the huge, homemade looking top hat on top of his head.  Blonde fringe hung slightly in his face and sad, blue eyes fixed on her face.  “Hatter...,” she whispered, fear beginning to bloom in her chest.  She had heard horror stories about what he did to his victims once he found out they weren’t the mysterious Alice he was looking for.

“You remember me.  Have some tea my dear, March will be here in a moment,” he whispered, motioning to the table that was laden with food and drink.  Then he was moving to a chair next to hers, pouring her some tea with a small smile.

“Thank you Hatter but I’m not your Alice,” Marie whispered in a gentle voice, taking the cup and taking the tiniest sip in an effort to show she had no intention of trying to fight him.  To her surprise, the beverage tasted rather pleasant; almost tempting her to drink more.  If it hadn’t been for the possibility of drugs or poison, she would have.

The tux wearing man only got a pained expression on his pale face before he was cupping it with his white gloved hands.  “I... I know...  Your eyes are gray not blue and her hair was the color of sunshine but...  You just look so much like her...  I just... I wanted to pretend,” he whimpered, his shoulders shaking as a strangled sob escaped him.  The doctor in her got the better of her and she was wrapping the man into a hug, petting the side of his face as she made soothing noises.  At first, the crazed male stiffened in shock; then he was flinging his arms around her and sobbing into her stomach.

A sudden throat clearing broke the moment and Hatter was sitting bolt upright, wiping the moisture from his eyes as his gaze focused on the figure in the door.  To her horror, Marie turned to see a man with a rabbit head standing there; his mismatched eyes locked on her suspiciously.  “Yer havnae killed this’n,” the thing burred in a scottish brogue, its mouth moving to her further terror.  Then it was coming into the room, revealing that it was an anthro rabbit that was wearing the top of some very nice formal wear and only adding to the confusion she felt.  How could this thing even exist?!

“Why no, I haven’t have I...  How queer.  But... she isn’t like the others.  She isn’t screaming or trying to run away,” Hatter replied getting to his feet and standing in front of her in an almost protective manner.

“Could bae trickery!  Next thing yanno she’ll bae stabbin’ yae in yaer bluddy back,” the lapine sighed, his brown and white eyes fixed on her as he lifted his upper lip.

“As long as you don’t hurt me, I see no reason to try to harm you but I will need to leave at some point.  I somehow doubt Joker is taking my disappearance too well,” she brought up truthfully, finding the obviously dangerous pair slightly charming.

Their eyes immediately turned, terror and recognition coming into their orbs.  “Wait... I  _ thought _ I recognized you.  You’re that doctor he kidnapped and people have been looking for.  Oh... oh that bitch didn’t tell me about this...,” the shaking male whispered, taking off his top hat to run a shaky hand through his hair.

Marie was just about to ask who he meant when it dawned on her.  There was really only one female she knew that would do this and she let out a frustrated sigh.  “Fucking Harleen.  Is she  _ trying _ to get him to kill her?” she gritted out before giving the pair in front of her an apologetic glance.

They only continued to give her panicked expressions, March pacing as he clutched his furred hands behind his clothed back.  “How’re we gonnae get outta this with our skins intact,” he whispered, his eyes pleading with her to save them from her madman of a lover.

“I can’t make any promises but I will do the best I can.  First, I’ll need a phone,” the blonde requested, giving the pair a reassuring smile as Hatter handed her his phone.

The sight that greeted Joker when he came back made his blood boil and freeze at the same time.  Rage fought with fear as he took in the passed out form of Jonathan and the lack of Marie.  Then his eyes landed on a familiar looking dormouse and his frown turned into an outright murderous expression.  “Mad Hatter...  But you wouldn’t have done this without provocation.  Who told you she was Alice?  Who sent you to my hideout?” he hissed, venom dripping from his voice.  There was only one person in his mind who had caused this and he found himself palming one of his throwing knives.  All he could do was hope that Marie would still react like the doctor she used to be, maybe then she would have a chance of escaping this alive.

“Harley... If I see you again, you will be dead before you know it,” the green haired male snarled, ignoring the squeeze of fear clamping around his heart.  Knowing the Psychologist, there was a very good chance she had made a few new friends but he was unwilling to take that chance.  Hatter was unpredictable and violent, often lashing out at his victims.

Picking Crane up in his arms and sitting him up in the bed in case he threw up, the clown pursed his lips as he pulled away.  Then he was turning and leaving, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he flew down the stairs.  Just as he was about to press the contacts menu, an incoming call popped up from the number he was about to call.  The relief that flooded him faintly annoyed him as he pressed the answer icon and brought the black object up to his ear.  “Hey Joker.  Seems lil Miss Harley was trying to screw both parties over here,” came Marie’s blessed voice, her easy cockiness nearly making him feel faint as his earlier relief became a flood.

“Yeah, I thought it was her that set this up.  There’s no way Hatter would have thought to kidnap you on his own, let alone know where you were.  Did they hurt you?” he bit out, his rage a clear contradiction to his nearly weak looking posture as he leaned against a brick wall of the warehouse.

“No, Hatter has been nothing but polite, especially after finding out I wasn’t just one of your hostages,” came her reply, irritation under the humor in her voice.

“Just stay there.  I’ll be there in a few seconds to get you,” he assured, shoving himself away from the wall to make his way outside and to the van.

“Good, we need to discuss our little Harley problem as soon as you get here,” came her surprisingly vicious reply, making a smile quirk his painted lips as he got into the vehicle and closed the door.


	24. Plans and Moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: We all know Harley is far too stubborn for her own good.

If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Marie would have laughed at how nervous Hatter and March became as soon as Joker’s van pulled up.  The pair put as much distance between them and her as possible, holding up their hands to show they meant no harm when the clown came stomping in.  Instead of paying the crazed pair any mind, the killer strode right up to her; cupping her face in his hands as his angry eyes roved over her to check for any injury.  Then he was taking her lips in a fierce kiss, his right hand spreading almost protectively over her still flat stomach.  “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.  If ya were I’d have to, uh, make an example outta them,” he rasped as he broke the kiss, his hazel eyes moving to glare at the pair cowering behind her.

“Well I’m not hurt and we might be able to use them to our advantage given the fact Harley still trusts them,” the dirty blonde reasoned, watching as her lover backed away from her to walk around her and towards the hapless duo.  A snarl appeared on his painted face as he closed the distance, Marie close behind.

“What could they do except cause more trouble?  Ya can’t trust Hatter to keep things straight and March here is a straight up murderous bastard,” he hissed, his eyes shimmering with a bloodthirsty light.

“I know he makes a shit double agent due to his poor memory but he’s also easy for me to get back on track because of my hair color and calmness around him.  As for March... as long as Hatter is still on my side he shouldn’t be a problem,” she assured, locking eyes with the lapine.  The crazed rabbit only curled his upper lip slightly, distrust clear in his mismatched eyes.

The Hatter himself only stood there looking befuddled, probably already having forgotten why these people were here and what they were talking about.  Then his blue eyes traveled to Marie and a heartbreakingly sad smile graced his bony features.  “Oh Alice!  Is this a friend of yours?  Would he like some tea?” the befuddled man tittered, earning a groan from Joker.

“Are ya sure I can’t just kill ‘em both?” he bit out, his gloved hands curling into tight fists as he began to shake from barely restrained violence.

“Yes Joker.  I’m sure they’ll be of some use.  If they become a problem, however, I give you full leave to take care of it,” she assured before moving toward Hatter and taking his white gloved hands in hers, an action the man beside her took exception to.

If the ‘Clown Prince’ had fur, it would have been standing on end as his angry eyes watched the pair.  A snarl curled his red upper lip as his nostrils flared slightly but he kept silent, his tight fists shaking by his sides.  “Hatter, I’m not Alice.  My name is Marie Jovian and I need your help,” his lover whispered in a soothing voice, using all of her training to try to reach the man through his delirium.  When the tux wearing man got an expression of shock and sadness over his face, it took everything Joker had not to yank the former doctor out of the way and stab a knife in the other man’s jugular.

“Ah yes, I remember now.  You’re that lovely doctor Harley wanted me to kidnap.  Anything you need, I will be happy to help you with.  You are so kind, it’s the least I can do,” Hatter replied in a soft whisper, his eyes already becoming clouded again as his intense insanity began to take over once more.  Sighing, Marie began to carefully explain the plan to the thin man; ignoring the glare she was getting from the man-like rabbit that stood to his right.

By the time they left, Hatter was back to acting like she was the mysterious Alice he was perpetually looking for.  He had even raised a slight fuss when they were getting ready to leave, only calming when she again reminded him that she wasn’t the person he was looking for.  So when she and Joker passed through the front door unscathed, she breathed a slow sigh of relief.  Before she could turn to the man beside her, he was pulling her into a tight hug and breathing in her scent deeply.  “If he had gotten any more violent, I’d have ripped his fuckin’ lungs out,” the killer rasped, one of his hands wandering to rest on her stomach again.  Marie could only blush slightly, feeling a bit confused by the fact he was so protective of a child that might not even be his.

“Come on, I wanna get ya home.  We’re movin’ out tonight,” the male gritted out, grabbing her right wrist and dragging her slightly as he strode toward the waiting van.  The sandy haired femme only rolled her eyes slightly as she tried to keep up.

“I can follow under my own power,” she sighed, not surprised when the criminal shot her a heated glare.

“Well I just so happen to not want to let ya go right now,” he hissed, his eyes flashing green fire as he opened the back door of the vehicle.  Then he was yanking her in and pulling her into his lap as he sat down and closed the doors.

“Is she okay?” came Jonathan’s slightly raspy voice from up front, sounding like ‘Scarecrow’ was slightly there.

“Yeah, I’m completely fine!” she responded quickly, meeping slightly when the engine roared to life and the former doctor stomped the gas pedal to the floor.  It was only Joker hanging onto her that stopped her from falling to the floor.

As they travelled, the twitchy villain kept a tight hold on her; even removing his gloves so he could touch her pale face.  Eventually she became aware of the fact that he was shaking and his breaths were coming in shallow stutters.  “This is the second time you almost, uh, died,” he whispered in a soft voice, his tongue flicking out to lick his scars.

“Kinda hard to avoid in this line of work,” she replied, nuzzling into his chest as she closed her gray eyes and allowed herself to inhale his scent.  Despite his obvious worries, she doubted she had ever been in any danger from Hatter.

To her surprise, Joker tightened his hold on her and began to shake harder.  “Jack?” she uttered in a whisper, looking up to see something that shocked her even more.  Joker was crying openly, a heavy glare on his painted face despite his obvious distress.  Then his lips were crashing down on hers as shaking fingers continued to travel her face.  The embrace went on for endless moments, his tongue gently licking her lips but never asking for entry.  When he eventually broke the kiss, he rested his white coated forehead against hers and pursed his lips as more tears tracked down his cheeks; tracking black make-up behind them.

“If she has you kidnapped again, I will hunt her down and skin her alive.  As it is, I will be increasing the amount of people left behind with you,” rasped his unsteady mid-tone as the vehicle slammed to a stop.

Before she could protest, he was carrying her out of the van and into the warehouse; only setting her down once they were in the ‘living room.’  Then he was hollering orders to the already bustling goons, directing a harried Franz to a vehicle that held his explosives and equipment.  Marie tried to help but the two men flanking her refused to even hear it, instead suggesting she help direct where things would be put.  Eventually, they had the entire contents of the warehouse packed up; including a very grouchy looking Jasper.  “Alright, Crane do ya mind driving again?” Joker ground out, his fists shaking by his sides.

“Not at all,” the rail thin man replied, his blue eyes watching his partner closely.  Then his gaze moved to his former doctor, wishing he could take her into his arms and assess if she was alright for himself.  Somehow, he doubted Joker would appreciate that much.

In a blur, the former Psychologist found herself on her lover’s lap in the back of the van again.  The purple clad man practically curled himself around her, his eyes closed as he held her as close to himself as he could.  “Jack...,” she whispered softly, her heart clenching slightly from seeing the criminal like this.

“Don’t.  Just... don’t.  Not right now.  Just wait,” he growled out in an unsteady voice as he rested his forehead against hers again.  Warm droplets hit her face as he began to cry once more and Marie simply wrapped her arms around him and stayed silent.

After a long while of silent driving, the van slowly slid to a stop; a lot gentler than before.  Even Joker seemed slightly more relaxed, some of the tension leaving his body.  “We’re here.  It’ll take ‘em a moment to get our room ready,” the villain murmured, using his right hand to move a strand of her slightly curly hair behind her ear.

“I’ll go help,” Jonathan offered before getting out of the van and closed the door behind him.

As soon as they were alone, the suit wearing man began peppering her face with slow kisses; his tears occasionally pattering on her flesh.  “You’re a fuckin’ clever lil’ bitch, ya know that.  Ya managed to do what I thought no one fuckin’ could and I don’t whether to kill ya or thank ya for it,” he hissed, his tongue flicking out over and over to spastically lap at his scars as his agitation grew.  Before she could ask what he was talking about, he shushed her by pressing his fingers against her lips.

“I truly don’t know how you managed it but... but I really can’t bring myself to hide from it or be angry with you for it anymore.  Somehow... somehow you’ve made me... love you Marie,” he growled, as his mouth slammed down on hers violently, his teeth biting her almost in punishment.  As soon as it started, he softened; bites gradually turning to licks as his right hand came up to tangle in her hair.

“God dammit, I fucking love you,” he spat almost hatefully as he broke the kiss to gather her into a tight hug.

Marie could only gape as she tried to absorb his words.  Did a man who hated any form of sentiment really just confess his love for her?  She could barely believe it and she had heard it twice.  “You... you love me?” she whispered in a soft, unbelieving voice; squeaking when he roughly pushed her back and yanked her chin up so their eyes met.  Instead of the glare she expected, the psychotic male only had a resigned, affectionate expression.

“Yes you silly whore.  I, Jack Napier, completely, utterly, endlessly love you.  I don’t know when it start but it only got stronger the longer you were around.  Just the fact that you cared for me of your own volition...  I honestly never thought anyone would love me like that,” he confessed, his left hand travelling down to rest on her stomach.

“You’re also giving me a child, another thing I would have never thought possible.  Harley was pretty and all but I had no desire to have children with her.  She was just what I built her to be, no real personality of her own or true trust for me.  It wasn’t until I met you that I found out a little puppet wasn’t what I wanted anymore.  Having someone I can trust and who trusts me back makes things so much more interesting,” he declared just before a soft knock came from the closed rear doors.

“I’ve also discovered that its nice not to have to wear a mask all the time,” he sighed wearily, putting his gloves back on as his normal, cold expression came back into place.  Then he was gently setting her down on the small bench he had been sitting on before opening the metal entry.

Outside stood a surprisingly calm looking Jonathan Crane, a slight smile on his lip as gave them a small nod.  Nodding back, Joker spun on his heel to offer a gloved hand to the sandy haired femme behind him.  The ex-doctor gave him a small grin before placing her hand in his and getting to her feet.  “Let’s get you and Jasper settled in,” he whispered, pulling her so she was beside him and wrapping a purpled clad arm around her waist.  Then he was leading her out and into their new home, ignoring the henchmen moving things around.  In fact, the killer was leading her straight up some stairs and into an office room.  The bed and dresser had been set up in identical places as before, the pet crate containing a hissing Jasper perched on the sheets.

“You should probably give him some room.  He doesn’t exactly appreciate being crated,” the dirty blonde warned, opening the crate and heading for the food bowls by the dresser.

The angry looking tuxedo cat hopped out of the small container, seemingly torn between clawing everyone in the room or begging his owner for food.  When she opened a can of wet food, he rushed right to her with a loud purr; winding between her legs as she poured it into his bowl.  He didn’t get this often so this was considered quite a treat for him.  “I was hoping that would work.  It doesn’t always.  Sometimes he just doesn’t want me to get off so easy,” she sighed in an amused tone.

“What does he do?” came a slightly entertained tone by her right ear as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist loosely.

Leaning back into the unpredictable criminal, Marie placed her hands over his and gave his make-up coated cheek a kiss.  “He puts his claws to good use, let’s just say that,” she replied, enjoying the light atmosphere that was currently between them.  Jack chuckled warmly in response, giving her cheek a quick peck before moving to the door and locking it.

“Turn off the light for a bit and get into bed,” the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ husked out before padding into the bathroom to turn on the faucet.

Realizing what he was doing, Marie wasted no time in doing as he asked; flicking off the lightswitch before feeling her way to their shared bed.  She had no sooner pulled off her clothes from yesterday when she heard a floorboard creak from the direction of the bathroom.  “Good girl,” came an approving rumble before she heard footsteps approach.  Closing her eyes to help them adjust, the ex-Psychiatrist jolted when she felt a warm mouth slowly cover hers.

“I know you’ve seen me without my, uh, face on but old habits die hard,” he whispered, just before he laid beside her and took her into his now naked arms.

“It’s okay Jack.  I have a bit of an appreciation for people who need to hide after living here for so long.  Practically everyone I’ve met has had some sort of alter ego to hide behind.  It makes sense that you would be reluctant to be seen without yours,” she assured, rolling over to face him as she nestled into his bare chest.  He smelled of musk, gunpowder, metal and something uniquely him and she found it utterly intoxicating at this point.

The man holding her only kissed the top of her burnished gold haired head before slowly reaching over to turn on the much dimmer bedside lamp.  Prepared for this, Marie closed her eyes; allowing her hands to travel his bare back as her eyes adjusted.  From the feel of it, he had survived many a gunshot and knife fight; a fact that really didn’t surprise her.  “You know, when I became your doctor I thought I would end up like Harley 2.0; as I told you a while ago.  I never expected any of  _ this _ to happen.  The fact that I honestly love and trust someone like you is a bit surprising to me but... you’ve done so much for me.  You could have tried to break me, treated me like a prisoner but you didn’t.  You may have been a bit rough but I never feared for my life like I did with Roger,” the twenty-eight year old murmured, keeping her face burrowed in his lightly muscled pecs.

“I know what ya mean Bon Jovi.  Our time in Arkham made me trust you a bit more than I would anyone else from the get go.  If you had been a normal hostage, you would probably still be chained up in some room and waiting for either me or my men to rape you.  Just thinking about how things could have turned out under just slightly different circumstances...  Babe, I can’t begin to tell ya how glad I am things went the way they did,” he rasped, one of his hands hooking under her chin to pull her head up to look at him.

A haunted look was on his naked face as he gazed down at her, the hand on her chin moving to cup her cheek.  “You’re the only person who knows the real story of Joker, at least the childhood part.  You’re also to only one in a very long time to see me without my make-up.  You’re a large part of me now Marie and coming close to losing you not once but twice now...  Heh, you almost make me tempted to stop being, uh, me,” he murmured, his tongue flicking out to give his lips and scars a slow lick as he spoke.  Just hearing his words filled her with both shock and a bit of fear.  Someone like Jack was too far gone to even pretend to fit into society anymore.  If he tried, he would no doubt end up going fully insane and snapping terribly simply due to the stress.  People were an entirely different creature compared to him and he honestly hated them after his years on Gotham’s street.

Suddenly she was pulling away from him to sit up, both her purple nailed hands coming up to cup his face as she forced his focus on her.  “Don’t try to change yourself to keep me or this child safe.  I know it wouldn’t make you happy.  In fact, I think it would be a lot like caging  wild song bird.  You would languish and eventually fade away or go completely mad.  I can’t ask you to do that.  I would rather live what life I have with you happy and causing chaos than in some apartment watching the life go out of your eyes,” she hissed before she was taking his lips in a heated kiss.  An action that caused the naked villain to go stiff for a few seconds.  Then he was returning the embrace just as viciously, nipping at her lips until her mouth opened.

Soon his tongue was tangling with hers as she gently pushed him back.  Without breaking the kiss, she awkwardly reached between their bodies to position his pulsing erection in a more upright position.  Giving his lower lip a hard bite, she placed his tip at her sopping entrance and lowered herself down; breaking the kiss to throw her head back and moan as he hilted inside her.  “Ah fuck, you’re always so tight,” gritted the man beneath her as his hips began to move helplessly.  This drew a much deeper noise of pleasure from the female as she began to move in response.  Her nails ran slowly down his chest, leaving red welts in their wake and drawing low hiss from the killer.

“And you always feel incredibly good,” she gasped, leaning down to nip his neck as he began to take her roughly.  Growling, Jack surged upward; hitting something that made white stars explode in her vision.

Huffing out his name breathlessly, the blonde moved her lower body in small circles as she rode him; electric sparks of pleasure racing through her blood to center in the pit of her womb.  “Jack, oh Jack,” she gasped out as her walls began to pulse around him.

“Fffuuucck, cum for me Marie.  I can’t last much longer,” the green haired criminal growled as his hips began to stutter, his hands coming up to rest on her wide hips.  She didn’t need anymore encouragement, tipping over the edge with a cry of his given name.

The clown followed right behind, spilling inside her with a sigh of her name in response.  Then he was rolling them onto their sides, wrapping his arms around her as he held her close.  “I have to get ready for another job tomorrow and you’re coming with me.  I don’t feel safe leaving you alone right now,” he declared, one of his hands coming up to pet her silky hair.

“I’m okay with that.  I’m not at the point where I’m useless yet so I should be able to hold my own,” she assured sleepily, allowing his scent to lull her into a deep sleep.  Her lover only watched, some part of him still unbelieving she was whole and safe in his arms.


	25. Dark Dealings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I am so sorry about how long these updates have been taking. I lost my muse for a bit and took a bit of a break from chaptered works. I feel more refreshed now and am having fun again!
> 
> Charles_de_Mercania: Goodness me, I’m so glad you’ve been liking it! I never expected a thorough analysis! As for my language, born and raised in MI. Maybe I just have a unique way of perceiving language? Who knows! I’m just glad everything comes across clearly! As for her weapon, you’ll just have to wait and see! :3

    To her horror, she was back in the warehouse; a monster that no longer even resembled Roger looming over her.  His lips were twisted upward into a horrifying rictus grin that stretched up to his ears and his skin resembled the color of white facepaint, his veins standing out in clear definition.  His nose had bulged outward and had gained a red, bulbous, fleshy look.  Even his hair was wild and green, his blue eyes blazing coals of insanity in the darkness surrounding them.  Drool dripped thickly from his lower lip and he released a cackle that made her want to both vomit and piss herself from fear.  That sound had been nothing but sheer, murderous insanity and rage.  “I couldn’t wake ya up for a while my pet.  If it weren’t for the fact you were breathing, I would have thought you were dead,” the thing in front of her wheezed, sounding like he had quite a bad lung infection.

    “No!  You aren’t fucking real!” she found herself screaming, unconsciously curling into a fetal ball to protect the unborn child she carried.  As much as she dreaded it being his, she would do everything in her power to prevent harm from coming to it.

    Once again, all her limbs were bound but her clothes were missing; allowing her to see her former boyfriend had been very busy.  Her body was littered with cuts that were formed into words, some old while others were new enough to still be bleeding.  The words were all names directed at her, mostly common slurs directed at most women but there were some that were unique to him.  One in particular brought back horrible memories, ‘Bitchish’.  While that would mean nothing to the normal person, it caused cold dread and nausea to wash through her.  Bitchish was something Roger came up with to describe her when she didn’t want him around or simply refused to give into what he wanted.  It was, of course, a mix of bitch and selfish.  Not too creative but it didn’t have to be to have devastating effects on her.

    Crunching of dirt on concrete brought her attention back to Roger and she had barely enough time to shield herself before he was kicking her hard in the stomach.  “You’re not any fun when you’re unconscious like that,” he snarled, ignoring her denial from earlier.  Then he was fisting a hand in her sandy blonde locks and pulling her to her feet.  She only spat in his face in response, earning a hard slap that felt like it was full of razor blades for her insolence.  To her horror, when he pulled back she saw he _had_ indeed embedded blades in his hand.  That was when she felt warm, sticky blood dripping down her face and she began to scream.

    “Marie!  Marie!  Crane, get the fuck out of here!” screamed a familiar voice as the scene began to fade.

    “The fuck we will...  She needs us just as much as she needs you,” came the mixed voice of Crane and Scarecrow.  Then she felt two pairs of arms shaking her as three voices called her name, drawing her slowly back to reality.

    “No you fucking bitch!  I just got ya back!  You’re not going to leave me alone in the fucking dark again!” screamed Roger’s voice as she slowly opened her eyes.

    When she saw only blurs and didn’t now where she was, Marie began to panic; backing away from the pair until a whiff of their scents came to her nose.  “Jack... Jonathan...,” she gasped, shaking slightly as her vision slowly cleared.

    “Yes, its just us.  You’re here and safe,” came Jack’s soothing midtone as a much skinner feeling male wrapped her in his arms.

    “Which is reality?  Am I really here or is this the coma I’m in during breaks in torture sessions?” she gasped out, her heart pounding against her ribs as her vision cleared entirely and she saw her new but already familiar room.

    “Shhhhhh, shhhh.  If you calm down enough to think rationally you’ll find your answer,” came Crane’s baritone, his bony hand moving through her burnished hair.

    Taking a deep breath, she found he was right.  There were several things that had happened in this reality that simply didn’t make sense over in her too real nightmare.  Like her knowing about her pregnancy without once experiencing morning sickness over there.  “Its so fucking real and it keeps growing and changing when I come back; as if on a time continuum of its own,” she whispered, shaking as her morning nausea began to hit her.

    “Its just your mind using your memories and imagination.  Though the fact these dreams are so real is highly disconcerting.  We’ve seen your nightmares before and I will admit they’re usually vivid but these ones with Roger almost seem to border on night terrors,” he observed as Joker let out a sigh.

    “Thank you once again Captain Obvious.  Its probably from her recent kidnapping,” the criminal rasped, running a shaky hand through his dyed hair.  It was at that moment Marie realized she had accidentally called him his real name and she felt more fear flood her system, only increasing her nausea.

    Thankfully, she felt the sting of a needle in her arm; giving her instant relief from her roiling stomach.  “Joker... I’m so sorry...,” she whispered as she pulled away from her friend and former patient.  When she turned to look at at her lover, all she saw was a slightly rueful expression on his make-up free face.

    “Joker...,” she whispered, realizing right then he didn’t kill Crane only for her sake.  Anyone else would have been dead.

    “I don’t really give a fuck about anything but you not being trapped in a dream like that.  I know far too well what you’re going through feels like,” he snarled before tugging her into his still bare arms.

    Crane only watched, his eyes black as Scarecrow lurked just below the surface.  The thing that shared his body was strangely concerned for the female but didn’t shove his way into control.  If he wasn’t so aware of the dark being’s emotions, the former Psychiatrist would think Scarecrow was up to something.   _‘She is in pain...,’_ the beast rasped, his aura sending off the fact he wanted to hug her again.

    _‘I suspect she has PTSD but this seems like its been a long term case.  With how good she is at Psychology, I’m surprised she didn’t catch it,’_ Jonathan found himself replying, his brow wrinkling as he noticed the entity’s language was improving.  It was almost as if the thing was becoming more than just rage and fear simply because of its... his care towards Marie.

    _‘Sometimes its harder to see what’s wrong with yourself,’_ the entity whispered, watching the pair with more than just a little envy.  Crane could only blink in surprise at the thoughtful comment.  He honestly hadn’t thought his other half was capable of such deep thought.

    Marie, who was unaware of the internal dialogue Jonathan was having with the entity sharing his body, found herself comforted by Joker’s unique scent.  “You really do depend on both of us don’t ya...  You must really trust Crane.  Just how long did you two know eachother?” he whispered, his arms tight around her to keep her close.   _‘Me not being able to wake up must have really shaken him up_ , _’_ she mused to herself.

    “I would say about three years.  One alone was spent gaining both their trusts.  That type of hard work and determination to show I had good will towards him really built our bond,” the blonde replied, unconsciously reaching a hand toward her former patient.

    The dual man immediately reached forward, grabbing her offered appendage and giving it a squeeze.  “I guess we’ve come to balance eachother out in a way,” the former doctor murmured in a soft, shocked voice, as if this information had just dawned on her.  The naked villain holding her only sighed before nodding and motioning the chemist to join them, an offer the taller man took advantage of in seconds.  Despite allowing this action, Joker barely bit back a growl; watching the woman in his arms.  He wasn’t surprised when she immediately relaxed, even began to smile.  This got the wheels turning in his head.

    Minutes later and they were dressed and downstairs, preparing for the criminal’s next attack.  After the whole nightmare incident, all three of them found it hard to sleep so they decided they should make the most of the time.  At the moment, Marie found herself helping her beloved wire some homemade explosives while Crane mixed more.  “Alright babe, the green wire goes in here and the purple wire goes here.  Also, you can mold this gray shit into anything ya want.  Why not make yourself a few spades?” he instructed, gesturing to the Plastic Explosive with a purple clad hand.

    “Er, are you sure its safe?” she asked, eyeing the clay-like substance.  From what she had heard the stuff was pretty volatile.

    “Yeah, just don’t drop it or get it too hot,” the murderer replied in a nonchalant tone as he formed his into various letters.  Marie could only grimace before gingerly forming some Spades.

    “What do you _mean_ she got away!” screamed a crazed, female voice, causing sleeping pigeons to take flight in fear.  Inside the building, an enraged Harley paced back and forth while Hatter and March watched.

    “She was so nice, my little Alice.  No screaming or calling me filthy names in that sweet voice of hers.  I... I couldn’t... even if she _was_ the wrong Alice,” came the befuddled, half lucid reply as the lapine next to him pursed his furry lips in anger.

    “Ya leave him alone naow!  Ah donnae need t’deal wi’ him bein’ upset later,” the creature burred in a thick brogue, his mismatched eyes glittering with clear malice.

    “The two of you are fuckin’ useless!  What good are ya to me if ya can’t even do the one thing I expect you to,” the pigtailed murderess hissed, pacing due to her extreme agitation.  This wasn’t how this was supposed to go!  The interloper was supposed to be dead and she was supposed to be back home with her Puddin’.

    Heaving a frustrated sigh, Harleen ran a shaky, black and red nailed hand through her flaxen hair.  “I have any choice but to find Croc.  Lord only knows if he’s still human enough to even listen.  Hatter, you’re the only one he can stand.  I need you to tell me where he is,” she growled, insanity clear in her blue eyes.  The madman in front of her could only blink before cautiously nodding.

    “Be careful when you go to see him.  He’s gotten more territorial as well as violent and doesn’t really like unannounced visitors,” the hat wearing killer advised before giving her the information she sought.  As soon as she was gone, he was pulling out a phone and dialing a number.

    Joker was putting the finishing touches on some more traditional explosives when ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane began to blast from his phone.  Rolling his hazel eyes, he pulled out the burner phone before opening it and pressing it to his ear.  “What do ya want Hatter?” he hissed, his hazel eyes narrowing as he listened to the other end of the conversation.  Marie, who had been helping Crane ready costumes and fill balloons with the Smilex/Fear Gas mix, stopped her work to watch; apprehension filling her.  If it was Hatter, Harley must be making a move and she felt fear fill her stomach.

    “No you can’t fucking talk to Marie!  You will tell _me_ what that bitch is up to,” came her lover’s heated reply, letting her know things weren’t going well.  This was followed by another beat of silence as the violent male began to pace.

    Before the villain could descend into the tirad she knew was coming, the blonde was placing a hand on his suit covered shoulder to get his attention.  When he turned to look at her, the expression on his painted face was so angry it took everything within her not to jump back.  Instead, she held out her purple nailed hand for the small, black phone he held in a death grip.  The clown pursed his red lips in response before very reluctantly handing the small object over.  Giving the killer a reassuring grin, the former doctor pressed the phone to her ear.  As soon as it met her head, she could hear the confused man on the other end stammering uselessly and murmuring something about Alice.  “Hatter, easy.  Don’t you remember me?  It’s Marie, not Alice.  What did you want to tell me,” she soothed in a gentle voice, grimacing at the expression on her lover’s face.  He looked absolutely livid.

    “M-marie... yes...  Harley came by.  She’s gone to look for Croc.  If she can get his help, there will be no stopping him,” the criminal on the other end informed her, his voice sounding small and sad.

    “Thank you so much Hatter.  I’ll see you on Friday for tea,” she replied before closing the phone.

    “You will do no such thing!  That man is dangerous!” came the snarl of a pissed mid-tone in her ear as purple gloved hands plucked the device from her own.

    “Oh, and I suppose you’re perfectly safe to be around.  Look, if you give me a weapon I can handle myself perfectly well.  Though I really doubt he’ll hurt me anyway.  As long as you’re polite and remain calm, he seems to be fairly harmless,” she sighed, turning to place an affectionate kiss on Joker’s make-up coated cheek.  The villain stiffened for a second before wrapping his cotton clad arms around her and releasing a deep sigh.

    “You know what I mean.  I may be dangerous to other people but you know damn well I won’t hurt you.  Hatter...  All it will take is you telling him you’re not Alice at the wrong time.  He normally doesn’t take it well when his victims contradict him,” the killer holding her whispered, his hands twitching on her lower back as her rested his lips on the top of her head.

    “It would still behoove me to make friends with him.  Just give me a knife or something before I go so I can defend myself if I need to,” she reasoned before giving him a light kiss and backing out of his arms.  Then she was heading back to Jonathan to continue helping him, not seeing the thoughtful expression the murderer had on his visage.

    It was only after everything had been set up and Marie had changed into her persona of ‘Black Spade’ that Joker thought to ask what Hatter had wanted to tell her.  “Oh, shit I can’t believe I forgot.  Harley went off to look for Croc,” the still inexperienced villainess informed him, grimacing slightly at the fact she had let something so important slip.  The man across from her seemed just as horrified as she felt, actual fear coming into his normally dead gaze.

    “Fucking Croc... Christ she must be desperate,” he whispered in an unsteady voice, running a hand nervously through his lime green hair.  Then he was fixing her with a haunted look, his tongue flicking out to lick nervously at the scars stretching up from the corners of his mouth.

    “I don’t want ya to leave my sight this mission or for the next few days.  Croc has been... getting worse as time goes on, spending more of his time in the sewers.  If she can even get through to him, we may be in some real shit for a while,” he informed before grabbing her and pulling her close to his side.

    Soon she found herself stuffed into a van as the goons in the back began to put on clown make-up of their own.  As much dread as that filled her with, the ex-doctor knew better than to ask what they were doing.  If it was anything to do with children, she would be much more likely to get cold feet and she had a horrible suspicion it would be just that.  Closing her eyes, she grasped at the cold distance she knew she needed for this job.  She had to cling onto whatever disdain she held for humanity like a second skin.  She had to let it become her and slip fully into the persona of ‘Black Spade.’  If she didn’t she would be a definite liability to the people she cared deeply about.  After all, what did she really even owe these strangers anyway?  Most of these people probably wouldn’t even blink if they saw a crime happening that they could easily stop.  Hell, no one had bothered to help her or her family.  Why the fuck should she even care for them?

    When she reopened her eyes, they were cold and dead like her lovers; holding nothing but intense hate for the world and its inhabitants.  Beside her, Joker watched her closely; a proud but sad expression on his visage.  “I wanted to save this for your birthday but things are gettin’ dicey and I ain’t about to risk your life again,” he grumbled as they pulled up to a back alley of a hospital.  This got her attention and Spade looked over at her lover as the van was put in park and the engine shut off.  With a strange glimmer in his eyes, the purple clad criminal opened his blue lined jacket and reaching into an inner pocket to bring out a beautiful butterfly knife.  The closed handle was deep purple lined with sterling silver, a tiny spade near the latch.

    “Joker...,” she whispered, her heart clenching with happiness as she took the weapon from him.

    “It ain’t much but it’ll keep ya safe until I finish  your main weapon.  This was just meant as a solution to up close combat,” he explained, his words making her heart nearly stop as realization filled her.

    “Did you... did you make this?” she whispered in an awed voice, barely restraining her urge to fling her arms around his neck when he nodded.

    With some difficulty, Spade shoved her warm feelings to the back before allowing her bitterness to come to the forefront again.  With a curt nod to her lover, she got out of the car and began directing henchmen to grab balloons as well as where they were supposed to go.  As grateful as she was, it could wait until the job was finished.  Pulling out a walkie, she pressed a button as she co-ordinated with Crane on the other end of the city.  Whatever they were doing, it was bound to cause all kinds of chaos.


	26. Mother of All Bad Timing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I just wanted to take some time to thank my readers and commenters. Without you guys, this story wouldn’t have gotten as popular as it has! I’m just blown away by the amount of people bookmarking or even just reading this. Its truly been humbling in a lot of ways! The only way I have to possibly thank all of you is by continuing to make sure this fic is all it can be. I hope I don’t let you down! :3

    As it turned out, they weren’t doing anything with children.  Joker had chosen something a little less repugnant but no less distressing.  They were using their costumes to plant explosives in a hospital that dealt specifically with terminally ill people.  Even going so far as placing the plastic explosive shapes and letters on the wall under the guise of trying to cheer up the patients.  To her horror, the words spelled out ‘Don’t worry, be happy.’  Shuddering at the terrible irony, the disguised blonde found herself wondering if she even wanted to know what Crane was doing on the other end of town.

    Just as she was placing the last spade on the wall, her clown mask wobbling on her head slightly, Jonathan chose that moment to beep her on the walkie.  Giving Joker a glance and getting a nod, the former doctor lifted the black object to her face; lifting her mask slightly to press it against her ear.  “We’re all set at the Maternity Ward,” he growled, Scarecrow clear in his voice.  Then the line clicked closed, leaving Black Spade looking utterly horrified.  Shaking her covered head, the still new villain simply motioning to her partner.  Joker, who was standing near-by in his own mask, came to her; his almost hidden eyes burning with excitement.

    “He’s ready,” she informed, her voice muffled by the latex disguise she wore.  Her companion nodded while chuckling quietly, motioning to the henchmen to move out.

    He was just starting to lead her out as well when a large, black thing crashed through the roof of the building.  As it straightened, Spade saw it was none other than Batman.  “You know, for someone who’s supposed to save the day, you sure destroy a lot of property yourself,” she quipped as her tux clad lover shoved her behind him.  The rubber clad vigilante only stared at them before starting to walk slowly towards them.

    “You used to help people Marie.  Look at what you’re doing now!  You can’t want this!  Come back home, where people want you.  You still have the power to help so many and your Uncle is very worried about you.  Please, don’t make me treat you like another criminal,” rasped the masked man, the harsh light of the hospital reflecting off the bat cowl as he moved.

    Before she could respond, Joker was shoving her hard toward the door the goons had already run through.  “Run, I’ll be right fuckin’ behind ya,” snarled the violent killer as he ripped off his clown mask, revealing his painted visage.  Spade pursed her lips before removing her own mask.

    “I don’t believe you Joker.  Not one little bit.  As for you, Bat Boy, stop acting as if I’m another brainwashed minion.  I already told you, the Marie people knew is dead!  I’m doing this of my own free will simply because I like it,” she snarled, her unique make-up making her look rather intimidating.

    Her words seemed to stop the dark man in his tracks, his kohl surrounded eyes narrowing behind their corresponding holes.  A few seconds after, she was shoved even harder by her lover, a low snarl leaving him as she turned her focus back to him.  “I said to fuckin’ run!  Now get th’ fuck outta here!” Joker snarled before charging at the ‘Bat’ with his throwing knives drawn.  Spade could only watch, all the feelings she had tried hard to bury bursting to the surface.  She was torn between rushing to help with her balisong and doing as he had so angrily ordered.  As she watched, the purple clad villain slashed at Batman’s face before his gaze briefly shifted to her.

    “Fucking **_GO!_ ** ” he screamed, making the decision for her.  She had never heard him so furious at her and her need to obey overrode any instinct she had to help him.  Soon she found herself in the back of a goon packed van, wondering just how she had gotten there as one of the men hollered at another to start driving.

    “Wait!  He’s not back!” Marie screamed, shoving away her persona fully.  The brute of a man at the wheel only narrowed his eyes before sneering.

    “He ain’t gonna be!  If we stay any longer, the Bat will get _us_ next.  We gotta go _now_!” the thickly muscled henchman growled before cranking the van to life and driving away.  The ex-psychologist whimpered before turning to watch the building slowly fade into the distance, hoping against hope that her beloved would return safely.

    At first the twenty-eight year old had been hopeful but, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, she became much less so.  On top of that was the fact that neither Harley or Croc had made any moves, making her feel extremely paranoid.  Now she found herself in her fifth month of pregnancy with no sign from anyone, not even Joker.  It was looking very likely he had been stuck in Arkham and whatever contacts he had before weren’t helping him now.  Placing a hand on her steadily growing womb, Marie found herself having to entertain the thought that she would have to give birth without him; possibly even have to learn to live without him period.  “Jack, please come back to me... to us,” she whispered, smiling sadly as her unborn child kicked her hand.  Over the months, she had truly come to love the unborn child; growing to not care if it _was_ Roger’s.  She would love this child no matter what.

    Under the streets, things were a much different story.  Harley had been living there while trying to gain the favor of a man that was slowly turning into a mindless beast.  At first he refused to acknowledge her, a step up from simply outright eating her on sight.  After a few weeks of living in his sewers, however, he began to actually acknowledge her.  He even spoke to her on occasion, his voice more of an animalistic growl than anything resembling human speech.  After that, it was endless months until she finally got him to consent to do as she wanted.  Now all she had to do was sit and wait, ignoring the ever present voice in her head telling her not to do this.  She just _had_ to get back Mistah J!  Then everything would go back to normal.  Just the thought of it made a strange grin curl her lips as she began to laugh, sounding more like she was screaming.

    Marie pretty much made the room she had shared with Joker her sanctuary, preferring to stay in there rather than risk going among the goons.  Thankfully Crane kept her company, following her to and from the small office and even sleeping in there with her.  Today was no different, his darker half lurking in the background as they watched movies on a tiny T.V./VCR combo.  Oddly enough, the movie she had chosen was ‘Fight Club’; a movie that the dual male related to very well.  In fact, Jonathan had figured out what was going on in the beginning; having dealt something very similar.  Still, that didn’t seem to diminish his enjoyment in the film.  The pseudo trio were so relaxed in fact, that it completely took them by surprise when they heard a loud crash downstairs.  “Stay here,” the thin male ordered, pulling out a large knife before heading to the locked door.

    “Like Hell I will!  Am I supposed to sit here like a damsel awaiting rescue?” she protested as she got to her feet, the extra weight from her child making her sway unsteadily.  Jasper only watched the events from under the bed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

    Crane whirled around to give her a wild glance, his face twisting as the demon that shared his body tried to shove his way forward.  “I refuse to allow you to risk your life any more than necessary!  You can barely keep your balance as it is.  Please, we _need_ to keep you safe,” the former Psychiatrist protested, his voice sounding twinned as his blue eyes turned an inky black.

    “I don’t want to just sit here while whoever is here charges up the stairs!  I want to fight by your side!  I may be the size of a small whale but I can still fucking fight,” snarled the vehement blonde as she picked up the butterfly knife her imprisoned lover had made for her.  Before she could make a move toward the door, she found her shoulders gripped in Scarecrow’s bony hands.

    Ebony eyes met hers as her former patient’s familiar face twisted into something dark and strange.  The being looked on the verge of protesting, stopping when he saw something in her gray eyes.  “Stay behind me,” rasped the dark thing, waiting until she was by his side to open the door and peek around the corner.  Gunshots and screams came from downstairs, punctuated by horrifying growling noises that couldn’t have come from anything in nature.

    “Jesus Christ, is that fucking Croc?” Marie gasped out, her bravado from earlier fleeing for outright terror.  Before her companion could answer her, a bone-chilling roar came from the living room; followed quickly by the sound of clawed feet running toward the steel stairs.  It wasn’t too much longer before the sandy blonde got her first glimpse of the infamous, mutated villain  and what she saw nearly took her breath away.

    The creature could no longer strictly be called a man.  His skin had grown more scaly looking, his back had humped up, his neck had shortened, a medium length tail protruded out of the torn, stained jeans on his lower half and small, fleshy bumps had grown up from his back; going from the base of his neck to the tip of his tail.  His once human face now looked mostly crocodilian, his nose and lips forming into a small muzzle.  His large, muscled hands were webbed as well as tipped with sharp, black claws.  Mindless, slitted, green eyes glared up at the pair before the half human thing was galloping up the stairs, his mouth yawning open to reveal teeth that were slowly transforming as well.

    Before Croc could get close, Scarecrow was tackling him; knocking them both down the stairs.  Marie could only watch in horror, the hand that wasn’t holding her blade traveling to her stomach unconsciously.  The pair landed on the concrete below with a solid thud, making the former Psychologist wince as she unconsciously held her breath.  After what seemed like ages, one of the shapes shifted; the one she didn’t want to see moving.  Her heart stopped in her chest when his feral gaze landed back on her, his tail flicking as a sickening smile spread across his deformed mouth.  “If ya come on down quietly, no one else has to get hurt,” the beast gritted out, his voice sounding like a sack of rocks being rubbed together.

    “Why should I trust you.  You could simply kill us both as soon as I got close enough,” she returned, her stormy orbs narrowing as some of ‘Spade’ came to the surface.

    “I don’t think ya have much of a choice darlin’,” he purred, bending down to place his razor sharp claws against Crane’s neck.

    Gasping, the burnished gold haired femme licked her lips before shutting the door so Jasper wouldn’t make a run for it.  Croc eating her cat was the last thing she wanted at the moment, along with the monster actually killing her dear friend.  Then she was making a show of pulling out her knife and slowly placing it on the floor, a fruitless effort to gain some trust before she made her reluctant way down the metal steps.  “I knew ya’d see things my way,” the partial man growled before sweeping her into his arms and running outside.  As he headed for the nearest manhole, Marie silently prayed that she would be able to bullshit her way out of this.  If she couldn’t, it wouldn’t be just her life in danger.

    Joker ran a shaky hand through his dyed hair as he paced his tiny cell.  He had hoped to be out of here long before now but it seemed he had run fresh out of help at Arkham.  Also security around him had been tightened since last time, making it much harder for him to steal a bit of toothpaste to make an explosive with.  After a month, he finally had to concede defeat and began to work his magic on the staff; even this being surprisingly hard work.  The charismatic villain was used to people falling at his feet to do as he said, not this cold distance.  After about four more months in lockdown, he was finally beginning to make some progress with one of the doctors but it wasn’t nearly fast enough.  He needed to get back to Marie _now_.  He didn’t even know if she was still okay.

    Making a distressed sound, the killer flung himself down on his ratty bed to cradle his head in his bare hands.  Had Croc gotten to her?  Could she be in his claws and being tortured even now?  Could she be dead?  Just the possibility made him shudder as his heart clamped tightly in his chest.  It felt like he couldn’t breathe and that should have bothered him but all he could think or feel was the extreme need to get the fuck out of here.  Punching the wall behind him hard, he relished the pain as it cleared his mind enough to think.  He should honestly hate Marie for what she had done to him, for making him vulnerable to feelings like these but he just didn’t have it in him.  Being around her, holding her in his arms, sharing himself with her; all of it felt too good after the years of blankness he had felt.  “I’ll get out of here and when I do, you had better be safe or heads will roll,” rasped the murderer, jolting slightly when a knock sounded on the metal door of his cell.

    Glaring at the sealed entry, the gray clad male slowly got to his feet and moved to the tiny window that would allow him to speak to his visitor.  Sliding open the metal door to the window, Joker was shocked to see an aged guard standing outside.  To tell the truth, he had no idea what to expect; not really getting many people coming to his cell besides his doctor and door guards.  To see neither of those was quite jarring and he found himself blinking as if to get rid of a hallucination.  The old man didn’t disappear, simply continued to look up at him patiently; as if he had the entire night to talk.  “What the fuck do ya want?  Come to gawp at the, uh, ‘Clown Prince of Crime’?” the crazed prisoner growled, slightly surprised when the guard didn’t so much as blink at the outburst.

    “I ain’t surprised ya don’t remember me.  You were just a little thing, so young when I took ya in.  Taught ya everything I knew I did, til ya ran away,” sighed, the blue clad man, a nostalgic expression on his wrinkled face.  It was then Joker realized he recognized the aged, sagging face in front of his cell.

    “Joe, Jesus I thought you were long dead.  What are you doing in a pit like this?” Joker whispered, unbidden tears filling his green eyes as memories slammed into him.

    After he had run away from his latest foster home, Joe had been one of the first to take him in.  He had also kept him around the longest, teaching him the finer points of living on the streets.  He had even been taught how to make explosives by this man, feeling more like his son than he had ever felt around his own father.  This man alone had been a huge influence in how he had become the person he was today.  “I thought I’d run into ya one day while workin’ here.  Sorta seemed like an inevitability given who ya became,” the grizzled guard replied, pride shining in his faded, blue eyes.

    “I also thought the day would come when you would be needin’ my help again.  Just so happens I have the keys to your cell.  I’m gonna let ya out so you can be with that pretty lil doctor of yours.  She’s always strived to treat us and the patients with respect and I think she’s been good for ya.  Something’s changed in ya since you kidnapped her,” Joe continued, unlocking the door with a loud click and swinging it open.

    Marie found herself sequestered in what she could only call Croc’s nest.  She had been set on a huge pile of clothing he had stolen before her captor had simply left the huge chamber, closing the makeshift door behind him.  Sighing, the gravid female flopped backwards on the pseudo-bed; placing both hands on the sizeable swell of her stomach.  She had no idea what the beast was going to do to her but the bones littered around the circular room gave her a very good idea.  Still, she knew she didn’t stand much of a chance of escaping.  Sewers were notoriously maze-like and the bigger the city, the bigger the system needed.  It was probably in her best interest to stay where she was, the danger she knew she was in much better than getting lost in Gotham’s giant toilet.

    The sound of the door opening brought her back to reality and she sat up as her captor came in with a strange expression on his monstrous face.  “You didn’t even try to run away.  You know I’m going to kill you and your child but you didn’t try to escape.  Why?” he growled, his gravelly voice making it hard to discern his words.

    “I would have only gotten myself lost.  I see no point in making my fate worse on myself,” she replied, feeling a surprising lack of anxiety.  She didn’t _want_ to die but she would much rather not spend what time she had in a blind panic.  She had spent far too much of her life in a state of fear.

    Croc only stared at her, mulling over her response as his tail flicked in a thoughtful manner.  “You’re very strange.  Almost everyone made a run for it, the ones that didn’t at least trying to make a weapon.  You seem to be accepting it,” the creature rumbled, looking perplexed.  Then he was slowly walking toward her, his lizard-like eyes locked on her unmoving form.  When she didn’t give the reaction he expected, he stopped in his tracks; tilting his bald, scaly head to the right.

    “You aren’t even all that afraid of my appearance.  Just what has Joker put you through?” the deformed man whispered, sounding stunned as he waited for her response.  When she simply laughed, he looked even more shocked.

    “It wasn’t his fault, at least not all of it.  There’s something seriously wrong with this city.  Can’t you see that?  People don’t normally act like this or change into monsters.  The fact that there’s so many strange people here, there has to be something sick at the heart of Gotham.  Something that drives its citizens insane.  Even its heroes have neuroses, dressing in their own costumes,” she replied, a strange smile curling her lips as Spade slowly came forward.

    “Even I’m becoming a victim of it,” she whispered, her smile turning painful and full of insanity as a small giggle bubbled past her lips.  She could feel the cold fingers of her persona’s indifference spreading over her brain and she fought to hang onto herself, unsure of just what would happen if she lost this battle.

    Joker slipped through the alleyways, winding his way home as his heart pounding against his ribs.  His anxious need to see that Marie was okay made it very hard for him to focus on anything else and he ended up giving himself a sharp slap to clear his head.  He would do her no good in this state and he closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths in an effort to center himself.  Then he was moving again, rushing into the warehouse to be greeted with a sight that made his heart drop into his stomach.  Several of his henchmen had been torn into bloody pieces, the ones that hadn’t been lying knocked out on the floor.  His feet moved him to Crane, his voice trying to wake the psychotic male up and he felt himself disengaging from his body.  Fear slowly filled his numb body, the need to find her quickly becoming unbearable.  Soon he was dropping Jonathan, heading out of the building and to the nearest manhole; a black expression on his painted face.


	27. Vengeance is Bitter Medicine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Please forgive me for more delays. A lot happened in my personal life that made it hard to write. Let alone coming to grips with the fact that I’m wrapping up a trilogy that has spanned over three years of my time. I will do my best to update more but things are still kinda wobbly. Have courage though, things will eventually be finished.

The twisted turns only added to the confusion presented by the pitch blackness of the sewers.  The strange echoes didn’t help matters and Joker felt fear fill him despite himself as he edged along a slimy concrete wall with his throwing knives at the ready.  The fact that he wasn’t hearing screams or cries for help only added to his apprehension and he felt his heart thudding hard against his ribcage as he slowly inched his way forward in the inky nothing ahead.  The sound of his shoes grinding on the dirt covering the concrete as well as the steady dripping of water somewhere set his teeth on edge and he felt like he was nearly jumping out of his skin as the eerie quietness stretched on.  Something should have happened by now.  Why wasn’t he being attacked?  More importantly, was Marie alright?

As it turned out, the former doctor was safe as far as her body went; her mind was a whole other story.  Her mind was in utter turmoil, Spade actively struggling to take over so she could give the deformed man a piece of her mind.  It was through only sheer will alone that the psychologist maintained control over herself.  Besides, it wasn’t as if ‘Spade’ was a different personality.  The persona was just a different part of herself that was slowly gaining power.  ‘Spade’ was everything she was to timid to be, uncaring for any innocents and vocal about what displeased her.  All things Joker had drawn out of her over time.  Sighing, she rubbed the bulging bump of her stomach as she shifted her gaze back to her captor.

The beastly man was pacing as his thick tail thrashed in irritation.  Every once and a while his lizard-like eyes would land on the blonde in his nest, lingering on the growing dome of her stomach.  “She never mentioned anything about you bein’ pregnant,” he growled, stress clear in his gravelly voice.  Marie didn’t even have to ask who he had meant, slow rage boiling in her blood and slowly shredding away any control she had over ‘Spade’.

“Motherfucking Harley.  You know, I heard she had gone to seek you out but I had hoped she had come to whatever senses she had and just decided to drop it.  Seems like that was in vain,” the twenty-eight year old huffed.  While she had already known the crazed female was behind this, hearing confirmation just made it that much more real.

Croc let loose a horrifying facsimile of a laugh, the sound practically shaking the floor.  “She’s crazier than a shithouse rat.  All she ever talks about is how you’ve ruined everything for her and how you pulled the wool over her Puddin’s eyes,” he informed as he cracked his knuckles to extend his sharp claws.  Then he was rushing forward to grip her pale face in his deformed hands, the sharp nails coming very close to slicing her delicate skin.  The muzzle that served as his mouth was mere inches from touching hers and an insane light twinkled in his feral gaze.  

“You talk about something being wrong in Gotham, something making us the way we are.  Maybe its the people themselves that are sick.  Maybe Gotham just draws us in like flies to honey  I can’t tell ya how often I’ve entertained the thought of killing either you or her just to get some fuckin’ peace from her inane banter.  Does this sound like a rational reaction to you?” he spat out, his upper lip lifting slightly to reveal his changing teeth.

“There’s something already inside me that makes me capable of doing these things, nothing else.  Even you have to admit that your own persona is just a deeper part of yourself,” the thing continued, before he closed his glittering eyes and inhaled her scent deeply.

“That may be true but such people exist everywhere.  Very few of them actually give into their urges.  There  _ has _ to be something about the city that makes people more susceptible to their inner demons,” the golden haired femme argued, not seeming the least bit scared outwardly.  On the inside, her heart was beating a wild rhythm.

“You ever think that Gotham possibly attracts people with weaker willpower?  Sure there are plenty of ‘normal’ people walking around but you would be surprised at what percentage are keeping a dark part of them buried.  Something about this city makes us feel comfortable the way we are, allows us to let loose,” the dark creature boomed, his tail thudding against the damp concrete with a meaty sound.  The fact that he couldn’t smell a scrap of fear both frustrated and aroused him, things he hadn’t felt since his condition had gotten worse.  All he had felt was animalistic anger, unending hunger and a strange territorial feeling.  Each day that passed, he felt more of his mind becoming the beast he was starting to resemble.

“Yes, but what is it about this place that causes such a feeling in the first place?” she whispered, finding the conversation they were having as fascinating as she did surreal.  In fact, she found her heart aching for the potential man Croc  _ could _ have been.  If he hadn’t given in to the demon in his head, he could have used the knowledge that turned him into to this to change the world.  Instead, he was becoming nothing more than an animal trapped beneath Gotham’s grimy streets.

“Why the fuck haven’t you just eaten her yet!” came a familiar female scream, startling the shit out of both of them.

Croc was releasing her to whirl on their guest with a snarl, Marie peering around him to see a very pissed Harley Quinn.  The crazed murderess was dressed in her normal black and red spandex, her blonde hair done up in her usual pigtails.  She even wore her black eye-mask, though that didn’t hide the outright hatred glittering in her icy orbs.  Red and black lips lifted in a sneer, the former doctor stomped forward; only to find herself stopped by the bristling beast between her and her target.  “I’m not about to eat her you fucking bitch.  I may be a monster but even I have some fuckin’ morals,” he snarled, almost seeming to protect the woman behind him.

“Since when do you care about eating some whore?” screamed the younger woman, making Marie dearly wish she had some of her lover’s throwing knives right about then.

“I don’t eat pregnant women Harley.  The deal’s off,” the deformed man growled, his reply stopping the one woman whirlwind in her tracks.

It felt like time had stopped as the grimy floor seemed to drop away from her.  Her heart and breath seemed to halt as a roaring sore was opened in the beating organ located in the middle of her chest.  Surely she had to have heard wrong!  There was no way in Hell her Puddin would let this bitch keep an unborn child!  Not when he had so cruelly forced her to...  Shaking herself from that thought, Harley felt her body mechanically lean to one side of Croc; her eyes going wide when they briefly landed on the round stomach the interloper sported.  It was then her stomach lurched, forcing her down to her knees as she began to vomit.  “Y-you... he’s letting you keep...,” she gasped out before she was heaving again, puke splattering the already filthy concrete.

Marie only watched from her position on the strange nest made out of stolen clothes, feeling black fury fill her.  “That’s right Harleen.  Unlike you, Joker wants to have a child with me.  Even seems to want to build some sort of life with me,” hissed a voice that sounded like her but really belonged to her darker self.

“You fucking lie!” screamed the nearly hysterical woman as her pigtailed head shot up to shoot the former Psychologist a crazed glare.  The deep hurt in those azure eyes was nearly enough to make the sandy haired criminal feel bad for her rival, almost.

“Do I really toots?  What do your eyes tell ya?” came a venomous snarl from her lips, Spade’s bitter derision slowly taking over the small amount of sympathy she felt.  Why  _ should _ she feel bad for this woman?  She had many opportunities to stop what she was doing but she kept pressing her luck.  At this point, Marie couldn’t allow her to continue as she was; the reason why currently sleeping in her womb.

“You... you... you tricked him or brainwashed him somehow.  Th-there’s no way he would...  Not after what he... and I...,” stammered the stunned female clown before she was shooting to her feet and pulling at her pigtails.

“Do you really think one woman can brainwash someone like him?  And here I used to think you were smart before he drove you insane,” hissed Spade as Marie found herself shoved more and more into the back of her own mind.  Something she honestly welcomed at this point.  It felt good to let someone else who seemed to know what they were doing take the reigns.  Even if it  _ was _ just another part of herself.

Harley let out a cry of rage before launching herself at her gravid antagonizer, her heart feeling like it was being ripped bodily from her chest.  The only thing that stopped her from reaching her target was Croc, the most unlikely hero anyone in the room had ever seen.  Still, the insane killer didn’t care.  All she could think about was the gnawing, aching pain she felt as well as the need to kill the woman who had caused this.  The need to kill, to tear, to feel blood splatter on her skin as she made damn sure this whore could never touch what was hers again.  Gone was any speck of the small, rational voice that had been trying for weeks to stop all this madness.  At this point, the costumed femme was truly beyond any help.  The only thing she heard was the slut demand she be released.

Blinking, the deformed man looked up at his ‘captive’ with a confused expression.  “You heard me.  Just toss me a knife before you do.  I’ve had enough of this stupid bitch fucking with our lives,” hissed the hateful voice of the alter ego Marie had worked so hard to make for herself.  She was then tossed a weapon, forced to watch from the background as her villainous persona got into a more defensive position.  Then Harley was exploding forward as her beastly companion released her, giving her only seconds to react.  It was then things descended into a blur of chaos.

Joker, who had been following the sound of loud voices, peeked around the corner to see a sight that made lust simmer in his veins despite the direness of the situation.  Marie had launched herself at a crazed Harley, a protective hand on her sizeable stomach as a knife flashed in the other.  Before he could even begin to move into the room, his vicious lover had his ex pinned to the grimy concrete; a frightening snarl of her pale face as her golden locks hung in her eyes.  The blade she held was now pressed against his former partner’s throat and he felt himself grow rock hard in his purple pants against his will.  “Any last words Harleen?” hissed a voice that sounded like a much more demented version of his lover, making a shudder roll down his spine as he slowly crept into the open space.

Croc, who had been watching the fight with a mixture of confusion and apprehension, scented the other male and turned to give his fellow villain an acknowledging glance.  The tux wearing intruder froze in place, seemingly torn between reaching for a weapon or keeping an eye on the woman who held his heart.  The decision was soon taken from him when a swift motion caught his eyes, causing him to turn just in time to see his former doctor slit his other former doctor’s throat; a dark look of glee on her face that only served to heat his blood further.  That glee only intensified as the woman he had broken and twisted began to choke on her own blood.  It only faded when Harley was finally still, a pool of blood spreading under her head and staining her flaxen hair.

Marie slowly came back to herself, fully aware of just what she had done while her darker self had been in charge.  The evidence of it was still on her hands as well as laying on the floor in front of her.  Her stomach lurched as sickening guilt mixed with horror washed over her body in a tingling wave.  Then she was vomiting helplessly, dimly aware of someone wrapping their arms around her as a familiar scent filled her nose.  “Joker...,” she gasped, not even looking at who was holding her before turning in their embrace and burrowing her face into his green silk clad chest.

Before she knew it, he was scooping her into his arms and running; the slime caked walls a blur as the killer holding her sprinted toward the ladder leading up and out of the manhole.  Then she was being slung over a cotton covered shoulder, watched the floor of the sewer get ever smaller as Joker carried her upward.  As soon as they were ground level, her lover was setting her on her feet to take her pale face into his now bare hands; a concerned expression on his painted visage.  Yet, under that worry, there was the barest hint of hunger in his verdant eyes.  Then those eyes travelled to her protruding tummy and that hunger became downright unmistakeable.  Suddenly he was leading her toward the warehouse they had chosen as their hideout, his ruby lips pursed as he nearly drug her behind him.

He simply spared the awakening henchmen a passing glance before pushing Marie up the metal stairs, only seeming to relax once he had her in the room they shared.  Jasper, who had been sleeping on the bed, gave the pair a baleful glare before simply yawning and going back to sleep.  The still shell-shocked female could only watch as the man she loved slipped to his knees to lift her shirt, exposing the tight dome of her womb to his terrified gaze.  Then he was pressing feather light kisses to the taut skin, his hands spreading on either side of sizeable bump.  “I can only imagine what’s going through your head after what’s happened to you.  But don’t you dare feel guilt for protecting yourself and our child.  You did what you had to in order to make sure the threat was eliminated.  Besides, if you hadn’t killed her; I would have,” came Jack’s unsteady mid-tone as he nuzzled where the unborn child rested.

Marie could only feel dimly horrified that she didn’t feel one bit of guilt for taking a life with her bare hands.  Instead she only felt a deep relief as well as a rush of exhilaration.  She hadn’t been disgusted by the blood splashing on her skin or the act of killing someone.  She had been turned on by it, the realization making her stomach turn with nausea.  The person she was becoming was honestly starting to scare her and she found herself wondering just what kind of world she was bringing an innocent baby into.  “I... I don’t feel guilty,” she confessed, knowing there was really no one better to tell what was going through her head at the moment.  His green haired head shot up at her statement, his hazel orbs locking on hers as anticipation began to fill his expression.

“How  _ do _ you feel?” the killer husked out, the raspiness of his voice causing a pleasant shiver to run through her pregnant body.

“Turned on...,” she uttered, her voice barely above a whisper.  The dirty blonde had barely enough time to hope her violent boyfriend hadn’t heard her before his lips were meeting hers almost frantically.

Large, warm hands came up to cradle her back as his eager tongue demanded entrance to her mouth.  The former Psychologist gave in with a low moan, allowing her gray eyes to slide shut as her own arms came up to wrap around his strong neck.  Jack growled his appreciation into her mouth, tilting his head to deepen the kiss as desperation began to color his lust.  “How long were ya down there.  Please tell me you weren’t there for my entire time stuck in Arkham,” he whispered against her lips between deep kisses full of his need and love for her.

“Only a few hours really,” she replied, disturbed by the wantonous heat that prickled her skin.  Was this what she wanted for herself?  To become a monster that gloried in blood and death?  Then again, who was she to look down at that behavior given who she had fallen in love with.

Joker was the very persona of chaos, not caring what age his victims were or if they even deserved to die in the first place.  The only person he seemed to care for, in fact, seemed to be her.  A strange position to find oneself in after living life as a normal person for a large chunk of her life.  She had discovered that she truly didn’t care what happened to other people but that didn’t make the chore of putting aside the mantle of civility any easier for her.  Caring for others and feeling guilt for causing death had been hard coded into her since she was a child and could not easily be overwritten with her true nature.  Though, to be honest, she was unsure if she really liked who she was under the mask her mother had forced onto her.

Her distressed thoughts were interrupted by her lover giving her pulse a hard bite.  When she looked up at him in shock, the ‘Clown Prince’ gave her a slight glare.  Then he was pulling out a balisong, flipping the knife open to place the tip on the collar of the black t-shirt she wore.  “I can see the wheels turning in your head.   _ Don’t _ fuckin’ regret killin’ a madwoman who wouldn’t have hesitated to do the same to you and our child.  Let go, let me see the woman under the social constraints.  I  _ want _ your darkness, crave it.  The little glimpse I saw...  You were magnificent.  Don’t run from who you were meant to be, embrace it,” the tux wearing criminal rasped as he proceeded to cut her shirt off with the sharp blade.

Marie felt her lust become a heavy pool of molten lead in her lower stomach, her breath dragging in slowly as fear and anticipation mixed within her.  The knife he was using was sharp enough to cause real damage if that was his intent, making the fact that he was using it to tease her with all the more exhilarating.  “See?  You like this.  The rush of excitement is unlike anything else isn’t it?  The hint of danger, the feeling that you’re taking fate into your own hands,” came an urgent, gravelly whisper against her collarbone as his knife easily parted the front of her shirt.

“Yes, it feels like sparks of electricity are dancing across my skin.  I feel triumphant, powerful.  All the things I shouldn’t.  The worst thing is it would be so easy to just give in,” whispered the former doctor, her stormy eyes squeezed shut as she struggled with her feelings.

“Then just let go.  I’ve got ya, I won’t let you fall too far,” Jack sighed as he ripped her shirt open to expose her breasts.  They had grown larger with her pregnancy, preparing to carry milk for their coming child.  Along with that, however, came increased sensitivity.

Before she could gather her wits to reply to his demand, he was latching onto a peaked nipple; suckling aggressively.  This caused a sensation that felt like a hook of pleasure had been embedded into her womb and each tug of his tongue caused a corresponding tug on an invisible string tied to the hook.  Soon she was groaning out loud as her purple nailed hands found his lime green hair.  As the killer released an almost animalistic sound against her, the hand holding the knife tracing a lazy pattern with the point, Marie found her reservations about letting go of her civility slowly slipping away.  Jack would be the last one to judge her for who she really was and she was tired of feeling guilt for things she honestly wouldn’t under different circumstances.

The sharp bite of his knife cutting into her skin and she let out a soft moan at the slight pain.  In a rush that violated her cat, Marie found herself on her back on the bed; the killer hovering above her.  Then Jack was latching onto the bleeding wound with a growl, ignoring the hiss Jasper gave the pair as he scooting off the bed and under it.  “Jack, oh fuck,” Marie gasped, her knees raising to clamp around his sides while his tongue played with the edge of the shallow cut.  The ruthless villain responded with a low grunt, tearing himself away to rip his purple jacket off as his blazing eyes roved over her exposed torso.

“Hold that thought babe, be right back,” he rasped, pulling off her to run into the bathroom.

The sound of the faucet turning on spurred her to turn off the light out of habit, plunging the room into darkness.  She had a brief moment to contemplate whether or not to take of the rest of her clothes before he answered her.  “Leave the rest on.  I want to,uh, finish unwrapping ya myself,” came his raspy demand, making her quiver in anticipation.  Taking a deep breath, Marie crawled onto the bed; relishing the feeling of the silk sheets under her hands.  Somewhere, in the back of her head, what was left of her conscience tried to make her feel guilty over feeling more sexually alive than she could ever remember.  A voice that was rapidly and easily crushed.

“There’s no fuckin’ reason to feel guilty, as he keeps telling you!  If you hadn’t killed her, it would have only been a matter of time before she tried to kill you again.  Or, even worse, try to kill your child.  Even if it does turn out to be Roger’s, it’s still an innocent in all of this.  Was I supposed to just let her continue to be a threat?” she hissed, a bit shocked by the venom she heard in her own voice.  Somewhere in her mind, ‘Spade’ let out a cheer of celebration.  

_ ‘Looks like ya finally get it doll face,’ _ chided her alter ego, making it sound like it was an easy conclusion to come to.

“Good to hear you say that,” came an approving husk before she could reply, drawing her attention to the barely visible silhouette above her.

“Thanks for turning out the light by the way.  Old habits and all.  But I believe we’ve already had that conversation,” continued the voice from much closer before the much dimmer bedside lamp was turned on.

Then he was on her, his hot mouth capturing her left nipple as his hands fumbled with the ties to her maternity pants.  Due to her size, she was only able to use sweatpants now; able to get more use out of the expanding waistband.  After a few moments, Jack was sliding them off along with her underwear; rough breaths leaving him as he pulled away from her to look at her naked, pregnant body.  A low, possessive snarl rips from somewhere deep inside his muscled chest as his hands come up to cradle her bump reverently.  “I’ve missed you these long months.  I almost went as mad as Hatter worrying whether or not Craney was doing his job,” he murmured, his voice a gravelly husk as he bent down to brush his soft lips on the crest of her growing dome.

“Well, don’t get locked up for so long then,” came her surprisingly snarky reply as she allowed some of Spade’s traits come forward.  After all, they were but her own feelings and quirks.

“Hmmm, showing me some of your more frisky side?” purred the killer above her as he continued to dust butterfly kisses over her tight skin.

The light, tickling sensation drew a giggle from Marie as she felt her heart swell with love for the madman.  He was violent, unpredictable, utterly insane, driven only by his own logic and he wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who looked at him wrong.  She was the only one who saw this oddly sweet, soft side he kept deeply buried.  “As much as I wouldn’t complain about gettin’ to know your other side more, I want to see you without all masks.  Just be you Marie, just you,” Jack pleaded, kissing his way down her stomach.

“I... I don’t know who I am,” the confused blonde whispered, gasping when his mouth met her junction.

“We can find out together,” her undisguised lover whispered before he began to suckle on her clit.

“Jack, please,” she gasped, arching against the heat of him.  It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate his efforts, it was just that she hadn’t seen or felt him in what felt like an eternity.  If he didn’t just take her, she felt like she was likely to explode.

Thankfully he seemed to understand, prowling up her gravid body as he took her lower legs into his hands and positioned his tip at her sopping entrance.  Then he was taking her in one stroke, the feeling of him hilting drawing a cry from the pair in unison.  Making a gruff sound, Jack began to move; his face burrowed in the right side of her neck.  “Ah, fuck!” Marie gasped, her back bowing as her hands came up to scratch his back.

“Thatta girl,” he encouraged through gritted teeth, moving faster and causing a wave of pleasure to crash over her.

Each stroke of him inside her felt like heaven, drawing a shuddering cry of his name as she felt herself creeping ever closer to a devastating orgasm.  Then her word was shattering, her nails scratching deep furrows in Jack’s bare back as her vision filled with white.  She was dimly aware of him spilling inside her before he was rolling them onto their sides, his arms wrapping around her as he placed his lips on her forehead.  Smiling, Marie was just on the verge of falling asleep when she felt the slightest kick.  Time seemed to freeze, her and the clown looking down at her stomach before the small kick happened again.  Their child was moving for the first time!


	28. Butting Heads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my readers! You guys mean the world to me!

“Jack, I refuse to stay behind when you can use all the extra hands you can,” Marie gritted out, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her lover fumed.  Crane, who was merely there to make sure Joker didn’t do anything too rash to the pregnant woman, watched alertly from his seat on their bed.

“I don’t need you getting in the way or putting yourself in danger!  Did you forget you’re six months pregnant?!  Not to mention the fact that Bats has the entirety of Gotham P.D. looking for your ass,” the purple clad villain snarled, his green eyes spitting fire as his gloved hands curled into tight fists.  The blonde across from him released an exasperated sound before heading into the bathroom to put on her make-up.

“That never stopped you before.  Something tells me you’re just doing this because you’re scared,” she hissed, grabbing the container of white facepaint as her lover and Jonathan came into the room with her.

“You’re damn right I am!  You have a nasty habit of getting kidnapped and almost dying!” Jack exclaimed, raised his arm in frustration  Then he was whirling to the man on his right and slightly behind him.

“Don’t you have anything to say about this Crane?  Scarecrow?  You two love her just as much as I do,” the infuriated, distraught male snarling at his partner.  The calmer man only met his gaze steadily, letting out slow sigh as he crossed his arms over his thin chest.

“You’re not wrong about that but we both think she’s capable of making her own decisions.  It may be dangerous but she has you and us to watch her,” the former doctor replied, a bit of his darker half coloring his voice as his eyes became slightly darker.  Joker could only gape at the normally protective chemist, honestly wondering if the other villain had gone even more insane.

“Are you saying you’re incapable of making sure she’s safe?” the former psychiatrist whispered, raising a brow at the slightly shorter man in front of him.  The disguised murderer could only gape before closing his jaw with a click.  His scars gave him an even more intimidating appearance as he ground his teeth together.

Whirling to face his gravid lover, he licked the make-up covered, long healed cuts on his cheeks nervously.  Lavender clad hands curled into tight fists before he was throwing them up in defeat.  ‘Spade’ only smirked back at him, quirking a brow saucily at him as she put the finishing touches on her ‘mask’.  “Just fucking stay by me and keep yer gun and knife ready.  I just wish I had your last weapon ready but it needs more time,” he ordered, grabbing her and yanking her behind him once she had finished.

“I wasn’t planning on trying to be brave.  If I don’t stay by you three, how can I make sure you stay safe as well,” the burnished blonde assured, keeping pace with her worried boyfriend easily.  Boyfriend... was that truly what he was to her?  Even lover didn’t really seem right.  Her affection seemed to stretch much deeper than these terms.  Sighing, she looked up at the tense, fierce killer.

All at once, she found herself wondering what life would be like if shit was less complicated.  Would he have asked her to marry him by now if things were normal?  Shaking her head, she grinned as she brushed the thoughts off.  In all honesty, she was starting to reach the point where she just wanted to let go.  All hanging onto what could have been would do is bring her stress.  Besides, she was more happy than she could recall ever being; even with all the kidnappings and murder.  In fact, she was really looking forward to having a little action after nearly a month of quiet.  Suddenly all movement stopped and she came back to reality to see she was standing in front of the back of the van.

Soon they were all in the back, an eerie silence filling the vehicle as they traveled to their destination.  Joker was especially on guard, holding her in his lap and bristling at any henchman that wandered just a little too close.  It left no doubt in Marie’s mind that he would kill anyone for getting nearer than that.  “I don’t like this one little bit,” he hissed, pulling a clown mask over his likewise painted face; his pursed lips briefly visible before it was covering him.

“I know darling but if you hadn’t taken me, I’d have just snuck out,” she purred, cocking a greasepaint coated brow before putting her own mask on.  She barely bit back a gale of laughter at the look in his eyes in response.

Dearly wishing she could see his expression, she shifted her focus to ensuring her many guns were loaded and her knives were at the ready.  She had two pistols that would be strapped to her denim covered thighs, one sub-machine gun, two balisongs that would be strapped to her wrists, and a few of Joker’s throwing knives hidden in strategic locations through the tux she wore.  With her lover and former patients protecting her, she wasn’t all that worried about being caught in a situation she couldn’t handle.  In fact, some part of her was very excited about what they were going to be doing.  Today’s activity happened to be just wanton terrorism.  An activity that filled ‘Spade’ with glee.  “You lil bitch, you’ve been getting more brazen without telling me,” accused the villain holding her, drawing a cackled from her as the van pulled into place.

“Learned from the best didn’t I?” she chirped as the men poured out of the vehicle.  Then her lover was setting her down to drag her behind him, Crane close on their heels.

She briefly caught a glimpse of the mansion they were here to invade before she was shoved along into the darkness.  As far as she knew, they were here to crash some party thrown by a guy named Bruce Wayne.  She had heard of him of course, what single female in Gotham hadn’t?  The billionaire playboy just hadn’t held much appeal to her, what with her hands full with Roger as well as her job.  Also, she was far from impressed with his record with women.  Even the men in front and behind her had been more loyal, the irony of that nearly making her laugh out loud again.  Forcing away her giddiness for the cold indifference she would need to get through this unscathed, Spade flipped one of her balisongs into her hand and got ready as they entered the mansion through a tiny, unguarded door.

The inside of the mansion both awed her and made her itch to destroy everything this pompous asshole held dear.  If Marie had been fully in charge, she would have more than likely taken the time to at least admire some of the opulence around her.  Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling every few feet.  Long, carved, marble pillars reached up to the arched ceiling like something out of a Greek odyssey.  Rich, embroidered carpet covered the floor.  Even what looked like real artwork littered the darkly painted walls.  It was almost enough to make her revert to the polite, submissive person she was used to being.

A large, warm hand brought her attention to Jonathan, bringing her back into her persona with a slam.  She wasn’t here to impress anyone or to make anyone feel better about themselves through her own inferiority.  No, she was here to do something else entirely and a grin replaced the previously nervous expression she had under her mask.  Then they were moving forward, everyone around them dismissing them as part of the entertainment for the charity event.  This only tickled her funny bone harder, making her wonder how dumb the average person really was  Maybe it was just a rich person thing.  After all the times these masks had been in the news,  _ someone _ here should recognize them.

Soon they were in a huge ball room, large groups of masked goons easily spread out in the mass of the upper crust.  “Keep close.  I have a strange feeling about Wayne here.  He has a strange habit of disappearing whenever Batsy is around, making me wonder just where tall, dark and gruesome gets his funding,” hissed a midtone in her left ear while a low growl came from her right.  She only nodded silently, replacing the balisong in her right hand with one of her pistols.  Then there were a few moments of endless stillness, silence pressing in on the masked female until a silent signal was sent and all Hell broke loose at once.

The air was filled with the sounds of guns firing and the panicked voices of the suits, her own pistol joining them and soon her sub-machine gun.  This gun had been well hidden under her tux coat and she cocked it as she smiled behind the latex disguise she wore.  Then a seas of bullets was flying and the mob of people ducked as one, as if their brains were connected through one entity.  It was enough to make her release another gale of laughter, sounding eerily like her lover and drawing the attention of the men flanking her.  Unknown to her, the green haired killer was caught somewhere between feeling proud and feeling an odd sense of loss.

When he had met her, he had ached to have another person that enjoyed this as much as he did.  Someone that understood what he was trying to accomplish.  Over time, however, he had come to love the small amount of softness and naivete that she held.  She had kept it for so long, that he sincerely believed she would never be rid of it.  Now that she had lost it, he felt a blade of pain spear his heart and twist.  It was almost as if she had lost something beautiful.  Shaking himself of his dark thoughts, he ripped his mask off to glower at the cowering masses of rich people on the floor.  “All right!  Listen up!  You all are going to hand over any valuables you have and we might let some of ya live!  If ya aren’t quick about it, well I can’t be held responsible if my men get impatient,” he ordered, watching as his beautiful woman took off her own mask; a cruel grin on her black lips.

“You heard the man!  Hop to it!  If we get out of here quick enough, we might not even take a hostage to play with,” she declared, spreading her purple clad arms to point her pistol and sub-machine gun in opposite directions.  One of the women as her feet dared to make a disgusted sound, earning a hard kick right to the face.  Then the crazed, former doctor was bending down, her nose nearly touching the other female’s as she smiled fit to split her cheeks like her partner’s.

“Pardon ma’am?  I don’t believe I heard ya properly,” she hissed in falsely friendly voice, her tone dripping with venomous sweetness.  The woman who had made the disapproving noise made the mistake of allowing her gaze to travel to the swell of  ‘Spade’s’ stomach, doing her best to staunch the bleeding of her nose with her hand.

This made black rage rise thickly within the villainess, replacing any rational thought that would have come from the part of her that was currently in the background.  “You think you have something to say about my choice of activity in my condition?  When you’re kissing the floor and praying to God I won’t simply shoot your face off?” she hissed, hatred dripping off her every syllable as she pressed the muzzle of her sub-machine gun in the bitch’s nose.  Just as she was about to pull the trigger and spray the cunt’s brains into a gruesome rainbow, there was the sound of breaking glass.  Looking up, she saw Batboy crashing the party through a huge window that faced the front yard.

“Lover boy was right, the flying rat sure does know how to make an entrance,” hissed the dirty blonde as she nimbly sidestepped a couple bat-shaped boomerangs that were thrown her way.

“Yeesh, and I thought Joker was bad,” she whispered, rolled her stormy eyes as she eyed the rubber covered vigilante as he got to his feet.

Batman’s head turned to her and the mood shifted from danger to one of utter shock.  She could feel his hidden eyes on the dome of her stomach and she fought the urge to shield it from his vision.  Instead, she leveled him with a sneer as she raised her large gun.  To her shock, Jonathan and Joker came to shield her in an instant; their actions seeming to further confuse the would-be hero.  Peeking over the shoulder of her lover, she wished she could see the black clad man’s expression as he tried to work out just what was happening here.

Used to always being the savior, he now found himself in a situation that required him to restrain a heavily pregnant female.  A female who was currently being protected by two of his worst enemies.  Two people he had seen beyond redemption or any sort of human emotion.  To see Joker, let alone Crane coming to rescue her from  _ him _ must be blowing a few fuses in the hard coding in his head.  He even swayed slightly, all the intimidation going out of his stance as he began to back away.  It was as if what he was seeing was too much for him to compute, making the doctor hidden deep inside her sympathize.  Outwardly, she sneered at his weakness.

Suddenly, an already tense situation exploded when Selena crashed through the same window Batsy had used; her green eyes landing on Marie instantly.  Time seemed to freeze for the two women who had been friends before this encounter.  Just looking in the catsuit wearing female’s eyes, the former Psychologist was able to see the other female was trying to play an angle.  Giving a brief wink to show she was going to play along, ‘Spade’ came back forward to give her a harsh sneer.  Thankfully the silent communication had worked and Catwoman gave a subtle nod before pulling out her weapon and aiming it at the two men who comprised her entire world.

Closing her eyes, Spade silently pleaded that Crane and Joker would understand too before grabbing both men’s arms and yanking hard.  This was enough to throw them off balance enough for the bullet to miss them.  Then they were running, their henchmen as well as the rubber covered duo close on their heels.  The blonde cackled, excitement racing through her veins as she ducked into a side passage during the confusion.  Due to how many goons were following them, Batboy and his female accomplice were easily lost.  “Hoooo, I would have given my eyeteeth to see his face when you and Jonathan stepped up to protect me,” ‘Spade’ whispered as she led them down a long, winding hall.  Thankfully it ended up at a door and they were running out into the night.

Things became tense some time after they entered the back of the van, heading to a new hideout the ‘Clown Prince’ had picked out.  Whatever men that had been left behind were considered lost but there were always more where they came from.  The only people Joker seemed to care about were her, Crane and Franz.  A jolt of the van brought her out of her musings and she looked up at the two men she had accompanied on this job.  Her lover was raising a brow at her while her closest friend removed his mask.  Opening her mouth to explain her actions, Marie found it quickly snapping shut.  In all honesty, she had no clue where on Earth any of that had come from.

She remembered everything that happened as well as how she had felt about the events as they unfolded.  Most of all, she remembered the adrenaline rush and empty laughter leaving her lips.  Laughter that had sounded like...  Moving her gray eyes to the villain beside her again, she gave him a smile before leaning into him.  “I was acting a lot like a certain someone back there,” came a breathy whisper that sounded like her but didn’t feel like her voice.  A soft, half relieved chuckle was the killer’s response as the dual chemist beside him huffed.

“A bit too much.  We thought we had lost you for a bit there,” snarled Scarecrow, using his host’s consciousness to improve his speech.  The hint of blue in his ebony orbs told her Jonathan shared the creature’s sentiment.

“No, I was still there.  Spade is me, she’s just more...  She just...,” the ex-doctor struggled, trying to find any way to quantify what that part of her was.

“She doesn’t give as much of a shit about what others think of her actions.  She’s what you would have been if you had been given  _ my _ upbringing.  Living on Gotham’s streets is no way to be a teenager learning to be an adult,” the suit donned villain sighed, understanding in his cold tone as a bitter smile quirked his scarred lips.

“I guess you could say she is but... she will always be me.  Just a more dark, demented part I suppose,” the Psychologist agreed, rubbing the back of her head as she internally examined her feelings about what had happened.  Strangely enough, all she found was an odd sense of peace.  She wasn’t at all worried about any of the people they had potentially hurt or Selena.

Instead of distressing, Marie found this revelation freeing.  Honestly, why  _ should _ she care about anyone that had been caught up in that.  Let alone the infamous Catwoman.  If she knew anything about the thief, the woman could take care of herself and then some.  The baby sleeping in her womb seemed to kick in agreement, making her giggle as a strange elation filled her.  It felt a lot like earlier and the only thing that snapped her out of it was a hand on her stomach.  An action that was met with a low hiss from Joker as she looked up to see it was only Jonathan.

The ex-Psychiatrist had a look of wonder on his gaunt, pale features, joy clearly shining in his cerulean orbs when the baby turned under his palm.  The clown cradling her in his arms, on the other hand, was the very picture of rage.  His white and red painted cheeks were tense, a muscle twitching as the blonde carefully placed a staying hand on his upper arm.  His green eyes switched to her rapidly and he relaxed briefly before continuing to simply bristle at the killer beside him.  After a few moments of this, Crane’s eyes went bottomless black as his back suddenly arched upward.

Her friend and former patient released a sound full of pain that sounded mixed with the cry of a thing straight from Hell.  Then he was slumping forward, panting heavily as his hands twitched heavily; Joker shielding her with his body as he watched the chemist uneasily.  It was then Scarecrow let loose an unnatural, evil, guttural laughter that chilled the very marrow of her bones.  It had been a long while since any of them had seen the entity in such a pure form and it was frankly unsettling.  The thing wearing Jonathan’s skin heaved in a strange, head hurting manner before lurching forward to rest an ice cold cheek against her domed stomach.

It was a very near thing to her lover having a knife at the creature’s throat, only her urgent whisper of ‘don’t’ staying his gloved hand.  The oblivious abomination only nuzzled the swell, letting out a coo that made her skin crawl subconsciously.  She knew the thing meant no harm but that didn’t stop her instincts from screaming at her to get away from it.  It was a hellish being wearing her friend’s skin and its full presence let her senses know exactly what it’s nature was.  Despite her inborn aversion, however, she reached forward to rub it’s dark haired head affectionately; inwardly shuddering at the sound it made.  “You must stay home,” it rasped in a voice that sounded primitive and gruff, its order making her blood prickle with indignation.


	29. A Dose of Prevention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Huge hugs to my many fans! Chafflotte, Misfitgirl3390, Sam, and everyone else who has read this! Changed my mind about how long this will be! Might be a few more chapters than I originally thought!

She had spent most of the next month arguing with the two men, using Crane’s words about making her own decisions against him.  Unfortunately, neither of them seemed willing to budge an inch; Jonathan staying with her while Joker orchestrated more chaos around Gotham.  Eventually, she had to admit defeat; if only to have Crane give her some much needed breathing room.  Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before she got her first ‘visitor’.  It had been a normal day for her, lying in the bed she shared with Jack while reading to keep from going out of her mind with boredom, when Selena had literally dropped through a self made hole in the ceiling.

At first, the former doctor had been startled; reaching for her butterfly knife as soon as the leather clad thief hand landed in front of her.  In fact, she got into an immediate defensive position; her left hand over her stomach while her right pointed outward with her weapon.  “Sorry bout droppin’ in on you like this but this whole place is swarming with guards.  You’re a hard person to find,” sighed the cat suit clad femme, stretched as she casually dropped her whip and spread her arms to her sides to show she was otherwise unarmed.  This had caused an instant dissolution of the tension and Marie began to giggle as she set her own weapon aside.

“Of course not, Joker wanted to keep moving after the huge mess with Harley, Hatter and fucking Croc.  But, I feel bad for her in a way.  Things didn’t have to end up the way they did,” sighed the pregnant blonde, getting to her feet and showing off the large baby bump she now sported.  Her former patient purred, pulling off her mask to shake out her ebony hair.  Her green eyes glittered with joy and slight amusement.

“Can’t say I blame him.  Look at you.  How far along are ya now?” exclaimed the feline-like woman.

“About seven months now.  How have things with you and Ivy been?” Marie asked, honestly glad for the companionship.

Of course, it wasn’t long after they had settled in that Jonathan had come upstairs; ultimately causing Scarecrow to break up the party.  It was only through Marie’s own quick actions that the dark being didn’t part Selena’s head from her shoulders.  After a few heated questions about how the thief had found them and how she had gotten in, Marie coaxed him to allow her to visit; something the dual male grudgingly agreed to after the former Psychologist explained how lonely and bored she was.  In her condition and her status as a missing person, she didn’t get much opportunity to wander around outside the warehouse when there were jobs for her to go on.  Jack had been another matter entirely, making a good point about how he didn’t know where Selena’s loyalties lie.  Still, after some sweet talking, he caved with the ultimatum that the blonde always be on guard.

As it turned out, those visits with her only female patient were the only thing that kept her sane as her seventh month of pregnancy wore on.  She just didn’t feel comfortable going downstairs to hang out with the various goons and Crane was usually busy doing his own thing.  It wasn’t that the chemist would mind taking time out of his projects to talk to her, it was more like she didn’t want to take him away from something possibly important.  Jack needed him to work on more chemical mixes, evidently working on something big while she was out of commission.  In fact, he had coordinated several attacks across Gotham with his Smilex/Fear Gas mixture that he was now calling Fearful Grin.

Sighing as she laid on the bed and waited for Selena’s daily visit, Marie couldn’t help but wonder just what the effect the gas was having on the normal person in the city.  If it was anything like her nightmares about Roger, she honestly felt sorry for the police force.  Shuddering at the memories, she stared up at the ceiling and counted the cracks in the tiles.  She had been avoiding the news as much as possible and therefore only had her nightmares and imagination to fill in the blanks.  Right now, her mind was full of deformed zombies filling the streets; their features growing more and more nightmarish the more gas was released.  Something deep inside her told her that wasn’t far from the truth.

There were a few disquieting things she remembered from her final encounter with her ex-fiance, things that seemed a bit too similar to what had happened to her so far.  Before she had been exposed to the gas, albeit in limited amounts due to it being in the air, she had never experienced what was going on with Spade.  It was almost like a split personality but not.  Spade wasn’t a different personality and didn’t force her to do thing she wouldn’t normally do.  She seemed more like an expression of feelings and behaviors Marie normally kept repressed.  Yet none of that helped the feeling that part of her shouldn’t have a consciousness of its own.

Selena dropping through her usual spot in the ceiling brought her out of her thoughts and Marie sat up to greet her friend.  The scared, serious expression the thief had was enough to freeze her in place, apprehension filling her.  “Your lover is nuts!  I have to get you out of here and away from Gotham,” she whispered, her green eyes darting around.  Needless to say, the twenty eight year old blinked in confusion as she tilted her head.

“Don’t you have any idea of what’s been happening because of these attacks with those chemicals he and Crane made?  More and more people are showing up at Arkham due to committing violent crimes.  The whole city is going nuts!” hissed the midnight clad criminal as Jasper came out from under the bed to greet her.  Like most cats, the overweight pet was drawn to her and the burglar had quickly become his favorite person in the whole world.

“Are they... are they deforming?” Marie asked, fear thudding faintly in her veins and causing her babe to roll inside her.

“Yeah, like that bastard was before I slit his throat.  Joker’s lost it!  Anyone out there can get hurt without a gas mask, you included!  I have to get you out before he comes back.  Lord only knows what he has in mind for the baby you carry,” hissed the panicked, cat-like woman as she scooped Jasper into her arms.

“Probably nothing,” the ex-psychologist sighed, relaxing just slightly.  She wished Jack had at least told her about what he was doing.  She had been planning on walking to the drug store to get a few things for herself, with a proper disguise of course.

“Are you crazy?!  He’s been playing you for a fool the entire time and I actually thought...  Nevermind, point is I need to get you out of here while I can.  His guard dog is so used to me visiting that he won’t even check on you for a good while,” whispered the leather clad woman, looking at her as if she had lost her mind entirely.

“Jonathan isn’t loyal to Joker.  He’s entirely loyal to me.  The only reason he does as Joker asks is because he doesn’t want to cause problems for me.  Besides that, there are things that have happened that make me feel confident when I say neither of them would ever hurt me intentionally,” Marie explained patiently as she sat on the edge of her bed.  Thankfully her pet’s own alliance was strong enough for him to just hop out of Selena’s arms to join his master.

The stunned villainess sagged visibly, tilting her ear tipped head to one side as confusion shone in her green eyes.  “I’m entirely lucid and in full control of my faculties Selena.  Do I look remotely like I’m brainwashed?” sighed the burnished blonde, scratching between Jasper’s ears as he purred huskily.

“Well, no.  I have to give you that.  You certainly don’t act like Harley either.  You’re a bit more brash than when I first met you but you still seem like your own woman,” she observed, relaxing only slightly; concern still clear in her eyes.

“Mmhmm.  Jonathan would never have let Joker harm me anyway, not that I think the man has any capability to do so,” Marie replied, her wistful smile setting the criminal even more at ease.

“I guess he does seem to care for you in his own way.  Still, I don’t think he’s taking everything into consideration!  All he seems interested in is making Gotham into his little science experiment,”  the cat thief continued, pacing as she gestured with her leather covered hands.

“How is that different from what he normally does?  The only difference is that this time he has a skilled chemist to help him.  Though, I can’t really tell you what his end game is,” the former Psychologist replied, grimacing at the truth in Selena’s words.  Her lover had always been the type to act first and worry about consequences later.  It wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t take the probable risk his actions posed to her and her baby into account.

Before her newfound friend could continue, the door was flinging open with a loud ‘bang’; revealing an exhilarated looking Joker.  Just behind him was a slightly exasperated Crane, a bit of Scarecrow showing in the blackness of his normally blue eyes.  Ignoring Selena entirely, the ‘Clown Prince’ scooped Marie into his purple clad arms to plant a kiss on her cheek and spin her briefly.  “I wish ya coulda come with us today darling!  It was great!  We had Batsy so busy that he had no idea where to go next!” he cackled gleefully while Jonathan gave him a death glare.

“If you keep pouring this gas into the air, Lord only knows what will happen.  You don’t know the first thing about how this shit works!” the obviously stressed chemist bit out, every vein in his neck standing out from frustration and barely restrained rage.

“People out there are already beginning to mutate.  How long before the same happens to Marie?  What about the possible effects inhaling it has already had on her unborn child?” Selena chimed in, not flinching when the painted killed shot her a black glare.  The ebony make-up around his eyes only intensified his intimidating appearance but the cat burglar only glared back, her hand on her hips as she seemed to challenge him with her posture alone.

The pair seemed to stand off for a long moment before Joker was slowly deflating, a thoughtful expression on his make-up coated features.  His scars only made his growing frown seem more intense as he ran a shaky, gloved hand through his dyed hair.  “Did you seriously not take that into account?!” snarled Crane, his other half clear in his voice as he went rigid from outrage.  The pregnant woman standing off to the side only sighed before shaking her head, not at all surprised by this revelation.  Yet, she didn’t feel angry or afraid.  If they had been poisoned, she was fairly certain she or her baby would have shown signs by now.  The only troubling thing she was experiencing was Spade and that wasn’t all that troubling.

“This warehouse is pretty airtight.  On top of that we have plenty of gas masks.  I also bet you made an antidote Craney,” he murmured, slight fear in his verdant eyes despite the sureness of his voice.  Both Jonathan and Selena groaned out loud in frustration, both pinching the bridges of their noses in unison.

“Look, I’m fine.  Never felt better.  I also don’t feel the urge to go out and blow something up without Joker’s say so,” the sandy haired woman assured, moving to stand beside her increasingly flustered looking partner.  Pursing her red lips, Catwoman threw up her arms in defeat before flinging a grapple up to the ceiling.

“Fine, just promise you’ll get out if things get hairy,” sighed the femme fatale as she clambered her way up and out of the building, shutting the hole in the ceiling behind her.  This left the trio alone, Crane clearly barely able to keep his roiling temper in check.

“You had no idea for sure that I had an antidote Jack!  Fuck, I don’t believe you took the risk to Marie into account at all,” hissed the former doctor, a muscle ticking in his jaw as Scarecrow colored his husky voice.

“Enough!” the fed up female interjected, the broken expression on her lover’s face not lost on her.

“What does any of that matter?  He didn’t do it with malicious intent.  Please, stop this,” she begged, wrapped an arm around his suit covered waist.  Crane only pursed his lips, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he heaved a deep breath.

“Fine, fine.  I’ll let this drop for now but I will talk about this more with him later.  For now, I’m going to get you a bit of the vaccine I’ve been experimenting on.  That way I can prevent a poisoning from even happening,” he bit out, irritation and anger still present in his once again blue eyes before he stormed out of the room; slamming the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Jack was pacing, his ruby lips downturned as he ran a shaky hand through his lime green hair.  The scars on his cheeks only added to his miserable expression as he moved back and forth at an almost frantic pace.  “They’re both right, I didn’t stop to think!  I just got caught up in...  Christ none of that is any excuse.  I’m just glad Crane really did have an antidote as well as a vaccine,” he rasped, his mid-tone unsteady as he seemed to tear his hair from his head.

“Jack...,” she started, moving towards him when he didn’t seem to hear her.

“If either of you got a good dose of that shit or if the baby is born deformed, I will never fucking forgive myself,” he continued, his tone growing more and more distressed before he was stopped mid-step by a pair of achingly gentle hands grasping his face firmly as he was turned to face his heavily pregnant lover.  Then her lips were taking his and he was melting, his manic energy disappearing in an instant.

“Enough sweetie.  You’re not used to having to take others’ safety into account, I can’t blame you for not keeping us at the top of your mind.  You’ve always been one to live in the moment and not worry about consequences and I’ve come to accept that.  I would be a fool if I didn’t expect something like this to happen every now and again,” she assured as she broke the kiss to rest her forehead against his, not caring about the make-up that smeared onto her skin as a result.

Jack only closed his eyes, pulling off one of his gloves with his teeth before placing a shaking hand over one of hers.  “You forgive far too easily.  One of these times such an oversight could end up killing you and our child,” he whispered, grimacing as her fingertips smoothed over his puffy scars.

“If that mattered to me, do you think I would have stayed in the first place?  The life you choose to lead is dangerous but I don’t care, just as long as I can be with you,” she replied quietly, giving his quivering lips another quick peck.  To her shock, he scooped her up into his arms easily despite the extra weight from her pregnancy.

Giving her a somber glance, he tightening his hold on her slightly before leaving the room while still carrying her; heading down the stairs and to one of the cars used for personal use.  It was sleek, black and seemed to be a generic build enough to blend in with normal traffic.  The only unique thing was the interior which was a deep purple and green.  Blinking, Marie found herself surprised that they even owned cars; only having been in one of the vans they used for heists.  Just as he was about to place her in the vehicle, Crane was charging out with fire in his azure eyes.  “Were you seriously about to go out there with her without waiting for the vaccine or even taking an antidote just in case?” he snarled as he slowly stalked into the room, a sense of danger radiating off his thin body.

“I just wanted to get her situated first.  Besides, I could hear you right on our tails as soon as I came downstairs,” the clown faced killer spat at the protective male, whirling when he saw Marie start to get out of the car.

Blinking, she froze in place when she saw the deadly serious glint in her lover’s eyes.  Nodding at the silent message he was giving her, she slid back into the vehicle; praying to God that Crane wouldn’t kill him.  With how protective the dual male had been over her lately, she wouldn’t put it past him to let Scarecrow loose to have a ‘talk’ with her beloved.  Beloved?!  Blinking at the new word she had attached to the crazy villain, she found it wasn’t far from the truth.  At this rate, she would begin to think of him as her common-law husband; something she wasn’t too sure about how he would react to.  Thankfully her friend and former patient only released an irritated sigh before handing four vials to Joker.  “The red one is the vaccine and the green one is the antidote.  Give her the vaccine before you go anywhere.  If she starts to feel dizzy or sick, give her the antidote,” the chemist bit out, his concerned eyes moving to the woman in the car.

Joker gave a curt nod, rolling a sleeve up to tie a tourniquet around his upper bicep.  Then he was injecting himself with the vaccine, waiting a few moments for bad effects before heading to Marie.  “Sorry man, not that I don’t, uh, trust ya but I’d rather try out this experiment on myself first,” he explained, taking the former doctor’s right arm in a gentle grip before rolling up the sleeve of the black maternity shirt she wore.

“I already tested it before I gave it to you but I don’t blame you.  Just... be fucking careful out there?” Jonathan sighed in a resigned tone, watching as his partner injected Marie with the antidote.

Joker only gave a curt nod as he straightened, moving to the driver’s side of the car and getting in.  He revved his car to life with a loud roar, turning the wheel as he pulled out of the parking spot.  As the sleek vehicle moved, the ex-psychologist turned to watch Crane; his figure standing there until she couldn’t make him out anymore.  “Where are we going?” she whispered, turning back to face the front.  The tux clad killer only jolted, a faintly surprised expression on his greasepaint covered visage.  Then he was grinning in a manner that reminded her all too much of her time with him in Arkham.

“Let’s just say, uh, there’s a reason why I was causing so much chaos out there today,” he purred, something glittering in eyes as he sped down the empty roads.  Blinking, she subsided into silence; knowing better than to ask for more information.  She would just have to wait and see what he had up his sleeve, a prospect that scared her with the expression on his scarred face.


	30. Keys to the Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Set phasers on Joker style fluff Mr. Sulu! Also I sprained my wrist so all my fics got delayed once again. Yaaaay~
> 
> Science Fiction Double Feature (c) Richard O'Brien

    To her complete surprise, Joker pulled up at an abandoned theater.  It looked like people had recently been there, only to have been chased away fairly recently.  He even pulled up to the front of the theater, giving her a frightening grin as he got out of the car.  Before she could unhook her seatbelt, he was there opening the door for her.  “Come on babe, I picked out a movie just for us.  Even booked the entire theater,” he cooed, bowing at his waist as he offered a gloved hand to her.  Looking up at him with a stunned expression, Marie placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her out of the car.  As soon as she was on her feet, he pressed her tightly against him; staring down at the swell of her belly between them.  For just a second, the killer had an almost predatory expression on his painted face; his scars only accentuating the creepiness.  Then he was turning and pulling her into the abandoned theater, the emptiness strangely eerie.  Once inside, the eeriness only grew.

    Popcorn boxes and soda cups were spilled and scattered all over the floor.  The concessions stand was in disarray, candy boxes, popcorn and soda everywhere.  There were also splashes of blood on the floor, making her wonder just how many people were injured or killed when Joker’s men stormed in.  That was when she noticed a faint, green vapor swirling in the air, only visible if you really looked.  Just seeing it made her skin prickle and she fought against the instinct to hold her breath.  Even if the vaccine didn’t work, the antidote definitely would.  Still, that didn’t help the apprehension she felt as her lover led her to the abandoned concessions stand.

    As she watched he slid over the counter to the other side, picking up a discarded paper that the employees were forced to wear.  Placing it on top of his lime green hair, he gave her a wide smile; his tongue flicking out to lick the long healed cuts on his cheeks.  “What can I, uh, get ya,” he purred, his green eyes glimmering with inner humor.  Deciding to play along despite her grim surroundings, Marie approached the counter with a friendly smile.

    “Can I get a large popcorn with butter and a box of Junior Mints please?” she asked as if she would to any other employee.  The villain beamed at her before getting the goodies and sliding them across the counter to her.

    “You owe me one kiss beautiful,” he purred, leaning over the piece of cement separating them from eachother.  Giggling, the former Psychologist leaned towards him as well; brushing her lips against his softly.

    “What will I have to pay for a ticket?” she teased, quirking a brow when they broke away from eachother.  Then she was flouncing away as best she could with her pregnant belly, minding the shallow pools of blood as she headed to the theaters in the back.  The tux wearing madman wasn’t far behind, cackling madly as he rapidly closed the distance.  Then he was scooping her up into his arms, not losing stride despite her extra weight.  

“Oof, you’ve been packing on a few pounds Bon Jovi,” he chided playfully as he carried her to a certain theater, getting a light smack for his remark.

    “Alright mister, you get pregnant next time and see how little weight _you_ gain,” she replied, inwardly amused at the image of Joker with a baby bump.

    In fact her mind supplied a powder pink maternity dress and a serene look on his make-up coated face as he rested a hand on the growing dome.  It was so vivid she had to bite her lower lip hard to keep in the laughter that now threatened to break free.  The sour look her former patient gave her didn’t help and she soon lost the fight, descending into gales of laughter.  This only made his frown deeper and therefore made her laugh harder, starting a vicious cycle until they were in the large, empty room.  “I know exactly what’s going through your head at the moment and I don’t much like it doc,” he admonished, albeit in jest as he placed her in a seat somewhere in the middle aisle.

    Marie only grinned up at him, her sandy curls framing her face as her gray eyes glimmered.  All her earlier apprehension had fled, turning into simple acceptance of what was happening.  It had become apparent as soon as he had started joking around with her that this was meant as a twisted date.  Sure enough, as soon as they settled, Joker took out a purple and green painted walkie; pressing a button to talk to someone on the other end.  In a split second, a projector flickered to life; a brief countdown showing up before beginning credits began to roll.  When music began to play and red lips appeared on a black background, it took everything within her not to squeal in delight.  Although extremely strange was, ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was one of her favorite movies.

    A fact that wasn’t lost on the criminal seated to her right.  In fact, he was watching her closely; his hazel eyes shining with love as well as amusement.  Then he began to sing along to the opening number, matching the pitch perfectly and making his lover look at him with utter shock.  Just see her expression made the almost embarrassing falsetto worth performing.  His natural singing voice was much lower but he found he had a rather impressive range, though he had never had occasion to use it outside of Highschool choir.  To his delight, Marie began to sing along; their voices blending and filling the empty theater.  “Michael Rennie was ill ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ but he told us where we stand,” he intoned, wrapping his arm around her when she leaned into him.

    “And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear.  Claude Rains was ‘The Invisible Man’,” she sighed, allowing the fantasy he was trying to create to take over her senses.

    “Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong.  They got caught in a celluloid jam,” belted the villain, hitting the notes perfectly as he held up a gloved hand dramatically.

    “Then at a deadly pace ‘It Came From Outer Space’ and this is how the message ran...,” the blonde in his arms returned, her voice shaky from barely held in laughter.  She had never seen this side of the ‘Clown Prince’ before and she had to admit she liked it a lot.

    “Science fiction double feature,” he continued, charmed when she tuned in on the ‘Ooh ooh oohs’.

    “Doctor X will build a creature.  See Androids fighting Brad and Janet.  Anne Francis stars in ‘Forbidden Planet’,” he resumed, gesturing and making funny faces while his lover filled the spot of the background singers.

    “Wo oh oh oh oh oh,” they both crooned in unison.

    “At the late night, double feature, picture show,” they sang together, gazing into eachother’s eyes before launching into a full on musical number.

    “I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel when ‘Tarantula’ took to the hills,” Joker declared, shooting to his feet and placing one of his feet on the back of the chair in front of him.

    “And I really got hot when I saw Janette Scott fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills,” Marie sighed, her voice sounding over dramatically aroused as she knelt as best she could to cling to the leg he was using to brace himself; looking up at him as if he held her entire world.

    “Dana Andrews said prunes gave him the runes and passing them used lots of skills,” Joker sang solemnly as he placed a leather covered hand on the top of her head and looked down at her.

    “‘But ‘When Worlds Collide’,’ said George Pal to his bride, ‘I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills like a...,’” Marie led in, barely able to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of their behavior.  Still, she couldn’t deny just how much fun she was having.

    Then she was getting to her feet, wrapping her arm around his waist as she pressed her cheek against his; not caring one bit for the greasepaint or scars.  “Science fiction double feature,” he sang, his eyes fluttering closed as his own arm wrapped around her.  Once again, the former rising star of Arkham found herself filling the part of the background singers.

    “Doctor X will build a creature.  See Androids fighting Brad and Janet.  Anne Francis stars in ‘Forbidden Planet’,” crooned his falsetto, a warm kiss landing on her cheek as his hand spread over her side.

    “Wo oh oh oh oh oh,” they sighed together, their lips meeting briefly before they separated to spread their arms wide open in unison.  Their hands stayed linked in the middle and they were in perfect sync despite not always watching eachother.

    “At the late night, double feature, picture show,” they sang out, before he was twirling her despite the tightness of the aisle; bringing her back to him and bending her over with a flourish.

    “I wanna go - Oh oh oh oh,” he breathed, his voice still pitch perfect as he grinned down at her.

    “To the late night, double feature, picture show,” Marie breathed, love for this man swelling in her chest and making happy tears clog her throat.  A few even escaped, slipping down her cheek.

    “By R.K.O. - Wo oh oh oh,” he whispered, pulling off one of his gloves to wipe away the moisture; slight concern in his green-brown orbs.

    “To the late night, double feature, picture show,” she repeated, capturing his hand with hers as she gave him a reassuring smile.

    “In the back row - Oh oh oh oh,” Jack sang in an almost teasing manner, tugging off his other glove with his teeth before placing said hand on her other cheek.

    “To the late night, double feature, picture show,” finished the pregnant female, placing a kiss on his lips that was met by blistering fervor.  Then he was breaking the embrace with marked reluctance, gesturing she should sit down; waiting until she did to take his own seat.

    The rest of the film passed like that, the duo participating in the traditional commentary that usually happened at a showing of this film.  The only difference was, they sang along to the songs with abandon; especially ‘Sweet Transvestite.’  Joker’s imitation of Curry as Dr. Frankenfurter came very closely to sending her into fits of laughter.  The thought of the vicious male in drag alone was enough to humor her.  He even went so far as to mimic the actor’s motions, mimicking his voice eerily well.  It was if the man could switch to anything that suited him, a notion that really didn’t surprise her.

    By the end of the movie, she had almost forgotten the about what had happened to give them this night.  As the credits rolled, the purple clad man got to his feet once again, offering her his arm and leading her out of the building as soon as she had given him her hand.  He led her to the car and drove off to their next destination, holding one of her hands in his despite the high speeds he drove at.  In fact, he seemed to relish the added danger; his grin extended by the long healed slices in his cheeks.  In this moment, he looked every bit like the Chesire cat from Alice in Wonderland.  Yet she wasn’t afraid, only curious why he had gone to so much trouble and where they were going now.

    They certainly weren’t heading back to the warehouse, instead going deeper into the city on the strangely empty roads.  It was like whatever Joker had done today had driven all of Gotham inside.  With a loud cackle that chilled her blood, he released her hand; giving her a wild look before rolling down his window and sticking his entire upper half outside.  Gasping, Marie grabbed the leather covered wheel to steer for him as they continued to blast down the road at full speed.  Instead of being concerned, he rested his elbows on the top and bottom of the window just as a downpour started.  Tipping his head up into the pelting rain, the madman seeming to relax.

    Her heart beating, Marie found herself laughing as well; adrenaline coursing through her veins as she made sure they followed the curves of the street.  “We’re coming on a straightaway.  Come join me Bon Jovi,” he bellowed, his voice muffled and distorted by the wind and precipitation.  To her horror, she found herself actually considering it.  Even Spade was encouraging her from the back of her head and she found herself releasing a slow breath as she let go of the steering wheel.  Telling herself that this was nuts over and over again, she rolled down her own window rapidly and shoved herself out of it up to the upper half of her torso.

    All at once, she found herself in an almost entirely different world; the city whipping by in a blur of greys and traffic lights as sound became a strange thing.  Cold rain pelted her pale skin sharply but she only felt more exhilarated, allowing her own eyes to close as the roar of air filled her senses.  When she opened them again, she saw their car was barreling toward a curve.  Instead of being afraid, she began to cackle; sounding like an echo of the psychotic male she had fallen in love with.  Across from her, said villain was chiming in with his own laugh; tipping his head back and almost seeming to welcome death.  Then, at the last second, they were both pulling back into the car in unison; Joker taking the wheel and turning with no time to spare.

    In fact their rear bumper scraped against the building that was past the sidewalk, they had taken the turn so wide.  The pair only continued to howl in mad laughter, their hearts racing with the knowledge they were still alive.  Though their eyes were still fixed on the road ahead, their hands found eachother and clasped; their mirth slowly dying as they continued to drive.  All too soon, he was slowing down to pull into a parking lot; swinging his car into a spot before flinging himself out of the vehicle.  Just like before, he was offering an arm to her; holding a walkie to his lips and saying a quiet command.

    As her hand met the material covering his left arm, the lights in the courtyard came on to reveal he had take her to one of Gotham’s hot spots.  It was a grand, towering building with a glass dome on top that housed a restaurant.  It was simply called the ‘Eye of Gotham’ and it was nearly impossible to get a reservation here unless you were as rich as Bruce Wayne.  The fact that he had chosen this place made her go briefly speechless as her chest tightened with happy tears.  “I only wanted ya to have the, uh, very best tonight,” he murmured, bending down to kiss her now rosy cheek before leading her inside.  To her surprise, instead of henchmen, there were actual staff from the restaurant.  A maitre’d even came to lead them to their seats, not looking the least bit nervous despite being under extreme duress.

    Deciding she didn’t want to know what he had done to arrange this, she simply went with the flow and sat at the table they had been escorted to.  They were given menus as well as a glass of soda for her and some wine for Joker.  Giving her a warm, hungry look that made pleasant tingles fill her lower body, the infamous male across from her toasted to the health of her and her child before taking a drink.  Taking a drink of her Sprite, Marie found herself feeling very comfortable but still extremely curious about just why he was doing all of this.  “Not that this isn’t nice but... why?’ she asked timidly, almost afraid of how he would respond to her questioning him.  To her relief, he only quirked a brow before tittering in amusement.

    “You mean you don’t know?” he asked, his tongue flicking out to habitually lick his scars.

    “I wouldn’t have asked if I did,” she responded sassily, smiling when he laughed.

    “Well, I’m afraid you’ll have ta wait until we have our dessert lil lady!  I don’t want to spoil a perfectly good surprise,” cooed her companion just as the waiter brought them their food.

    Marie dug in with gusto, not having much more than what they could steal since she had moved in.  The steak she had ordered tasted like heaven and quickly made her forget what questions she had.  The criminal across from her only snickered at her enthusiasm before cutting into his own steak.  Soon dinner was finished, their plates removed for a domed dessert that was set in the middle of the table.  “I hope ya don’t mind that I ordered ahead.  I had something specific in mind,” Joker rumbled, his eyes hooded as he rested his chin on his folded hands.

    “Happy birthday by the way,” he continued, whipping off the dome to reveal a german chocolate cake.  Perched on top of the chocolate, coconut frosting was a gorgeous ring that looked hand crafted.  The silver was rough and bumpy in some spots and perched on top was a very rough cut emerald.  Spades interlaced with stylized Js circled the band and it was clear a lot of love had gone into the making of this.

    A clearing throat drew her attention to her right and she gasped as she saw Joker down on one knee, reaching for her as he smiled up at her.  As she turned, his hands met her left hand and pulled it forward as she tried to gather her wits.  Right now, it looked like he had every intention of...  “Marie Jovian, I know I can’t offer you much.  Probably an early death for both you and our child but I just can’t imagine myself without you.  I want something that tells everyone you’re taken, even if we can’t ever get legally married,” he whispered, a strangely vulnerable expression in his eyes as his grin slowly faded.

    “Oh Jack, of course,” she breathed, launching herself at him as she took his lipstick coated lips in a heated kiss.  The clown only growled possessively, getting to his feet to prise the ring from the cake.  As she watched he licked the frosting off before slipping it on her right ring finger, as if they were married already.

    “Come on babe, let’s get outta here and have some fun,” he husked, leading her to the elevators that would take them downstairs and out of the building.


	31. Let's Paint This City Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Last chapter was a lot of fun and kinda helped me reconnect a bit with the two of them. I’ll be sad to say goodbye when this is all over.

Marie sat beside Joker on a steel beam of a skyscraper in construction, staring out on the quiet city as an icy wind blew around them.  The villain had long ago given her his tux coat, growing displeased when she began to shake from the temperature.  His right hand was slung around her back to rest on her upper arm, holding her close against him as their feet dangled in empty air.  Bare fingers hand found their way under the coat over her shoulders, rubbing slowly as they watched for any signs of life.  It was both peaceful and surreal.  Seeing such a busy city so empty was very haunting.  “This entire city is ours for the taking babe.  Thousands of sheep have been just waiting for someone to lead them in the, uh, right direction,” he cooed, his head turning ever so slightly as he grinned at her.

Reaching up to cup his cheek, she found her fingertips tracing the scar there and pulled her hand away as if burned; inwardly berating herself for touching it without permission.  She didn’t get too far before he was capturing her hand in his, pulling the appendage back to where it had been.  “Never be afraid to touch me Bon Jovi.  You’re one of the few I don’t mind in my personal bubble,” he assured, clear want in his green eyes as he slowly let go of her.  Licking her lips, the former doctor allowed her fingers to explore his damaged flesh.  It was surprisingly soft, the edges of the healed wound feeling strange but not unpleasant.  The killer leaned into her hand, letting out a content sigh as he briefly closed his burning eyes.

“I never thought I could fall in love.  Years of feeling nothing tends ta do that to a person.  If a few things had gone differently, ya coulda ended up like...  I don’t like thinking about it now.  Having you the way you are now is much more preferable to what I originally had in mind.  With you by my side, we can have Gotham at our knees,” he announced, his eyes opening as he gave her a chilling grin.  Then he was getting to his feet, uncaring that one slip could send him to his death as he walked to a support beam.

Marie only watched, tilting her head curiously as he fumbled around with something stored in a hollow facing the interior of the building.  Then he was pulling free a long, sheathed katana; walking back towards her with it held out in front of him like a tightrope walker.  Confused at first, she remembered him hinting at something like this when he first gave her the balisong he had made for her.  Sure enough, he was kneeling in front of her as best he could on the metal bar below them and presenting it to her like a knight would a King; the blade sitting horizontally in his palms as he held it up to her.

Like the butterfly knife, it’s sheath was a deep purple; a little silver spade near the bottom.  The hilt of the weapon was wrapped in green cloth and she carefully pulled the katana free to examine the blade.  It was highly polished and masterfully crafted, just like the previous weapon he had given her.  It was clear from the two blades that he was much more used to making weaponry than jewelry.  Comparing the craftsmanship, it almost looked like the ring had been made by a different person.  Lifting her new weapon carefully, she was a bit surprised to find it perfectly balanced.  “You should name it.  Its kinda a, uh, tradition,” urged her partner, shifting to sit by her as he stared out at the sleeping city.

Smiling slightly, she put it back in its sheath as a thoughtful expression came over her pale face.  What on Earth did one name an inanimate sword?  Then something came to her and she smiled even wider.  “I think I’ll call it ‘Retribution’,” she replied, tying it to her belt loop before looking out at Gotham as well.

“I like it!  Heh, won’t be much longer before you can join me again and I have something special planned for that day.  Things have been going so well lately, ol Batsy hardly knows which way to turn or who to save.  On top of that, all of Gotham is slowly becoming like how they should be,” he husked, gesturing to the darkened buildings below them and in the distance.  It was like looking at an endless expanse of humanity.

“Darkness lurks in every single one of them.  They’re just too stupid, too scared to admit it.  They all think they’re above people like you and me when they are on the same level inside.  Just one bad day can cause a normal business man to turn his gun on people he had called his colleagues and friends.  One misspoken word can make a man kill an entire town brutally and eat their corpses.  It doesn’t take something special or broken.  Fact is, violence is a part of human nature and all it takes is a few tweaks to let it loose,” Joker murmured, a hard wind blowing his green curls into his face as his ruby lips pulled into a disgusted sneer.

Pursing her own lips, the ex-Psychologist pondered on his words.  They held a certain truth and she agreed with them to some degree.  “Darkness is part of every human but so is light.  There are some good people out there.  They may be rare but they exist.  People who genuinely want to help others as well as follow the law.  People who never want to harm anyone,” she whispered, thinking of her mother, sister and nieces.  While she had never felt any love for humanity, or at least very little, her family was an average family.  If they lived in Gotham, she would be worried about them.  This made her think of her adopted Uncle, Dave Mickleson.  With everything going on, he was bound to be taking precautions but he was unlikely to leave until he found her.

Dave had always looked after her and her mother after the incident with her father.  Sometimes, it even seemed like he saw her as his own daughter.  She wondered if he would understand her decision, if he would defend her in the end.  As much as she wanted to contact him to let him know she was alright and happier than she had ever been, she didn’t want to risk him using to forces of Gotham’s police department to hunt down her and her family.  If he did that, she would have to kill him and she wanted to avoid that if at all possible.  If she had his blood on her hands, she was pretty sure she would go insane.

A hand on her arm brought her back to the here and now and she gave the villain a shameful smile.  To her surprise, he looked more understanding than enraged.  “I know but I’m just tired of everyone denying that part of themselves.  On top of that, these people needed a bit of excitement in their mundane lives,” he stated getting to his feet and brushing himself off.  Then he was scooping her into his arms, grabbing a rope attached to a grappling hook before rappelling back down to street level.  He was easily able to hold her in one arm despite her extra weight, keeping her secure against him as they made their way down several stories.

“Just do me one favor and keep all of the, uh, dangerous stuff between us?  Craney and that other personality of his would have my hide and string it up to dry as a trophy,” he asked in a serious tone; never loosening his hold on her for a second.

“Yeah, Scarecrow alone would cut your balls off for ear rings.  Also, he’s more than another personality and you know that.  He’s... something else entirely.  I’ve dealt with split personalities before and he isn’t that.  He acts like nothing I’ve seen before, to be honest,” she whispered, burying her face in his jacket to keep from seeing just how far of a fall she would have if he just so happened to drop her.

“That thing...  I should have known you would have figured it out.  You were such a great Psychologist.  You actually cared about us, wanted to make us better.  You even insisted they give me my make-up back, something only Harley did before you,” he murmured as they continued ever down.

“Do you know just what he is?” she asked, not really sure she wanted the answer even if he knew it.

“I don’t even think Crane knows for sure.  Ever since he found the original mask under his house, they’ve been inseparable,” Joker breathed, falling into silence as they descended the last few feet to the pavement below.

Yet when his shoes hit the gritty sidewalk, he didn’t let her down.  Instead he dropped the rope in favor of a more secure hold on her.  Then he was heading to the car, setting her inside before sliding across the hood to his side of the car.  Opening the door, he flung himself inside and started the engine; pulling into the street as he drove back to the warehouse they were currently holed up in.  “We’re gonna have to move again soon, while we still can.  Crane won’t  be happy about it with you so close to your due date but he’ll be much more accommodating than if you were in your eighth or ninth month.  We’ll have to find somewhere that we won’t be found for a long while,” he informed her, heading down the empty road.

“We could move in with Selena and Ivy for a bit,” Marie pointed out, placing a hand on her ever growing dome.  He only gave her an incredulous glance before his expression became thoughtful.

“That might not be that bad of an idea,” the murderer mumbled, almost to himself as he returned his focus to the front.

All too soon, they were pulling into a hidden garage; the clown putting the car in park before giving her an assessing glance.  “How ya feeling?  Any body aches?  Nausea?  Sore throat?” he asked urgently, his eyes moving over her before locking on hers.

“Nope, feel just as healthy as I did when we left,” she replied, waiting for him to open the door.  With the way he had acted so far tonight, she knew he would react badly to her trying to open her own door.

Sure enough, he was there before she could even move to unbuckle her seatbelt; pulling her out of the vehicle and sweeping her into his arms.  “I’ll have to give Miss Kitty a call and see what she thinks of your idea, not that I think she would protest too much.  She seems to like you,” he murmured, his eyes moving up as she became aware of the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.  Just as she looked up to see what was going on, Jonathan appeared in the door leading to the rest of the building.

“I’m fine Jonathan!” Marie called before he could begin the barrage of questions, watching with resignation as he moved toward them at a fast clip.  This made Joker go stiff as he released an irritated sound.

“You would think you were  _ his _ fuckin’ wife,” he snarled, a muscle ticking in his paint coated cheek.

“Shhh, I’m literally the only person his other half won’t kill outright.  Let alone the fact he trusts me with his life.  He just wants to make sure I’m okay,” she assured as the chemist closed distance rapidly.  Then he was taking her from her lover to examine her for himself, ignoring the other man as he palmed his throwing knives.

Bony but gentle hands traveled over her clothed form, stopping on her pregnant belly for a brief moment.  Then a satisfied expression passed over his gaunt visage and he placed a kiss on her forehead.  As he pulled away, his blue eyes travelled to her right hand; lingering on her ring finger.  Lifting said hand, an expression full of excruciating pain passed over his pale face.  “Jonathan...,” she whispered, her heart aching for him as she reached up to cup his face with her other hand.  Her lover, who was still watching, ground his teeth as he fought against his intense jealousy.  If it had been anyone else, he would have killed the man before proceeding to beat the woman mercilessly.

Oblivious to the danger, Marie kissed her former patient’s lips lightly before looking him in the eyes and petting his dark hair.  “You both are always going to be important to me,” she assured, turning to look at the villain behind her and reaching out for him.  Sighing and rolling his eyes, he walked forward to take the offered limb; kissing her palm.

“We’ll get to stay with you?” came an inhuman sounding voice, making Marie snap her attention back to the man holding her.  When black eyes greeted her, she came very close to gasping and instinctually flinching away.  Despite the fact it had been long established that the entity inhabiting Jonathan meant her no harm, she would probably always feel a soul deep fear and disgust for the creature.  There was just something about its very nature that made certain things inside her reject his presence.

“No shit straw brain.  If I boot you two out, Bon Jovi would never forgive me,” Joker replied glibly, not seeming to experience the same inner repulsion she did.  To be honest, she was jealous of him for that.  She didn’t like feeling afraid of or disgusted by a dear friend and she felt a stabbing guilt every time it happened.

“You’re just lucky she chose you laughing boy,” Crane snarled, in control briefly before Scarecrow was back in the forefront.  The thing narrowed his borrowed eyes before proceeding to carry Marie into the warehouse.  The tux clad villain followed closely, rage slowly simmering inside him as he tried to focus on anything but the fact that another man’s hands were on what was his.

The sandy haired femme, who was caught in the middle of a silent turf war, only shook her head as her lips quirked in amusement.  The two of them were acting like two kids fighting over a favorite toy and she had to fight hard to shake off the visual that caused.  If she focused on it, she was sure to start laughing and that wouldn’t be received well.  Instead, she tried to focus on the being using her patient’s body to carry her.  His bottomless eyes moved to look at her and his lips twitched into a very bad try at a smile.  “You enjoyed your night and so did your little one,” Scarecrow murmured, using Crane’s vocabulary to help his own speech.

“Very much so.  It was a welcome break to being stuck here until I give birth.  Also, we might be moving in with Selena and Ivy,” Marie sighed, giggling at the horrified look that crossed her friend’s face.

Soon they were upstairs, Joker impatiently snatching her from Crane when the door closed.  “Guys please,” she pleaded, struggling out of her lover’s holding place herself between the fuming men.  Scarecrow hissed before holding his head in pain as the body’s owner tried to force his way to the front.  The purple clad clown snarled in response, tensing to attack and filling the heavily pregnant woman with dread.

“Stop it!” she screamed, making both of them freeze in place when they heard the distress in her tone.  Panting slightly, she placed both hands on her large belly as her unborn child kicked violently from the disturbance.

“Enough okay?  Please...  You three are my only family right now besides this child, I really don’t need you killing eachother,” the shaking female whispered, her hands moving over her dome as she tried to soothe the unborn baby.

Suddenly there were a pair of hand joining hers and she was shocked to look down and see Jack looking up at her with a complacent expression.  “You’re right, we shouldn’t be stressing you out in your condition.  Go lay down, Crane can give Meow Mix a call,” the ‘Clown Prince’ suggested, giving Crane a glare before going into the bathroom.  Growling, the dual male turned to face her before Jonathan came back into control again.

“He’s right, I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” the thin chemist sighed, moving a bony hand through his black hair; drawing her attention to the fact that the hair at his temples was graying.  Then he was leaving, the door shutting just as the faucet in the attached bathroom came to life.

Sighing at how such a nice night was ending on such a sour note, Marie got out of her black shirt and maternity jeans.  She was looking around in a drawer for some pajamas when she felt arms wrap around her from behind.  Fingers played with her sensitive nipples and drew a groan from her as lust began to wash through her in waves.  That was when she felt her milk spill free, dribbling over Jack’s hand as her body flushed with embarrassment.  Letting out a noise, the killer behind her pulled back his hand and she became aware of a wet sound coming from that direction.

Next thing she knew, she was on her back on the bed; her lover looking at her with a feral expression.  Naked lips and a hot mouth enveloped the nipple he had been playing with earlier, taking hard draws as milk began to flow.  It was like electricity was being pumped straight into her womb, her body arching into the air as low moans left her.  Her hands scrabbled at his naked back as he continued to suckle at her, creating what felt like a swirling vortex of pleasure in her occupied womb.  Suddenly, she was exploding violently; a scream of his name burst from her as he released her flesh to give her a rather incredulous look.  That look quickly turned into one of sheer evil and he was moving to her other breast and beginning to suckle as she moaned desperately.  She was in for a very long night.


	32. Unintentional Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Heeeee hey guys, I just wanted to warn ya that the end is coming soon. I really mean it this time too. It’s been so fun to write this!

Selena had long ago pulled her aside to talk and look at baby magazines while the men did all of the heavy work.  When Crane had explained the situation to the thief, she couldn’t agree fast enough to the idea.  Ivy also didn’t seem to mind, using some of the plants to help move in large furniture as well as boxes.  By the end of the day everything had been moved in and unpacked, Joker coming down to make sure Marie was okay while Jonathan cooked for everyone.  Thankfully for everyone, it was a quick meal; allowing the ex-psychologist’s male companions to lead her upstairs to rest fairly quickly.

Thankfully everyone settled in fine, the goons getting to stay in the huge basement while Joker and Marie got the master bedroom.  Crane chose a room right next to theirs, the dual male not wanting to be far from her with her getting closer to her due date.  It would only be two more months, a fact that was on everyone’s minds.  The catburglar had even offered a room for the child, something they had begrudgingly accepted.  They would likely be stuck here long after the child was born since this house was in the middle of nowhere and very hard to find.

Despite the impending birth, things went back to business as usual; Joker going out to poke the wasp’s nest he had made Gotham into while Crane kept an eye on things back at the house.  Neither he or Scarecrow seemed too keen on leaving the house with the months slowly ticking down.  When she entered her eighth month was when the two entered what she could only call ‘mother hen’ mode.  While her lover seemed fairly unconcerned, Jonathan was almost beside himself with worry.  As a result, this made appearances by his darker half much more common.  At one point, Marie had begged Selena to show her a way to sneak out of the house once in a while.

It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy their presences, it was that she felt a bit smothered.  Even the man she was having the baby with wasn’t hovering as much as they were.  They were even escorting her to and from the bathroom, switching from Crane to Scarecrow so often it made her head swim.  Thankfully her only female patient had understood, making sure she knew how to fight in hand to hand with both her knife and her katana before she ventured out alone.  Soon she was sneaking out once a day, to the consternation of her self appointed babysitters.  She still remembered the looks on their faces the first time she had pulled her disappearing act with a fond smile.

When she came back, they had practically threatened to tie her to the bed if she did it again; something they never followed through on.  Today was no different, having long ago given the dual male the slip by using Selena to create a diversion.  She took every precaution to ensure she wouldn’t be recognized, wearing a wig as well as large glasses to hide her stormcloud gray eyes.  Besides, she just walked to a park that was near-by and feed the ducks; hardly the most unusual thing in the world.  So, packing her butterfly knife in case she ran into trouble, the heavily pregnant female slipped into a secret passage that would lead her outside the property.  Even Joker didn’t know she did this and he would have made damn sure she couldn’t as soon as he found out about it.

As soon as she made it into the fresh air and sunshine, she headed right for a patch of woods that would hide her from view until she got far enough away from the house.  Already it felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders and she smiled as the child she carried gave her ribs a hard kick.  Putting on her black wig, the former doctor stepped out of the forest and onto the footpath the lead to her destination; dark glasses already perched on her face as she began to whistle.  She was in such a good mood, she didn’t notice one of the men she had walked by stop in his tracks to turn his head to look at her more closely.

Sitting down at her favorite bench, Marie scattered some bread she had stashed in her large purse and giggled as the ducks began to squabble over the treat.  She was so engrossed in their antics that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand landed on her shoulder.  Whipping her head around as her right hand automatically wrapped around the closed blade in her pocket, she had to fight to keep her jaw closed when she saw Dave Mickleson.  “Marie?” he whispered, his voice painfully hopeful and making her wish dearly she could tell him the truth.

“I think you have me mistaken for someone else,” she replied, doing her best to make herself sound different.  Unfortunately, her adopted uncle had been around her for far too long to fall for that and gave her a small, sad smile.

“I don’t think I do.  Don’t worry, I won’t cause a scene.  I just... I’ve been worried about ya kiddo,” the taller scotsman murmured, a slight bit of an accent clinging to his voice; backing off when she made to get to her feet and run away.

“Please Marie, I really just want to talk.  How would I have even known you were here today?  I just want to sit next to you and ask if you’re okay,” he soothed, raising his hands with his palms outward to show he was unarmed.

For a moment, the disguised woman thought about just running anyway but something in his dark eyes made her stay.  This man had been around since she was very young, had taken good care of her family after she had killed his boss and her father.  It was hard not to trust him.  Besides, he had a very good point about not knowing she would be here beforehand.  So, with a nod, she sat back down and made space for her former boss and practical uncle to sit next to her.  She wasn’t too surprised when his eyes went right to her stomach as soon as he took his seat.  “First, I want to ask how he treats you?  Are you happy?  Does he keep you safe?  Is he forcing any of this on you?” whispered the suit clad man, his eyes fixed on the ducks fighting over the last crumbs scattered on the muddy ground.

“He treats me better than Roger ever did.  I’m very happy.  I almost feel free in a way, able to simply be the person I always was on the inside.  As for keeping me safe, he would give his life for mine with no hesitation and I would do the same for him.  Everything that I’ve been involved in, I’ve done voluntarily.  He never held a gun up to my head and told me I had no choice,” she answered, a bit shocked at how easily she relaxed around him.  Despite the danger he could pose, she trusted him to listen to her and consider her words before acting.

“So he doesn’t treat you like he did Harleen.  I’m relieved to hear that.  I also see you’re going to be having a baby soon.  I don’t imagine you’ve had much access to medical care or prenatal vitamins.  Does the child seem healthy?” continued her former boss, his eyes timidly rising to meet hers; as if afraid she would bolt at the slightest wrong move.  The horrible thing was, he wasn’t too far from the truth.  If he made any sudden moves, Spade would surge forward to slit his throat; a prospect that didn’t sit well with her in the slightest.

“It moves often, seems to be growing well.  Only problem is, I have no clue if its Roger’s or Joker’s.  He kidnapped me at one point and...,” she whispered, shuddering at the unwanted memory.

“Oh my darling girl...  Its a fucked world where someone like you is better off in the hands of two crazed killers.  I’m just happy you seem both happy as well as healthy.  That’s all I ever wanted for you and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn’t do anything about Roger.  Is the bastard dead?” Dave snarled, his aggressive tone surprising her.

“Yeah, Selena killed him soon after he had raped me.  If she hadn’t shown up, I would be dead right now.  So what are you going to do now?” the former doctor sighed, letting the question hang.

“Well, I want to try to keep in touch somehow.  I would also like to meet Joker and talk to Crane.  Other than that, I’ll let you live in peace,” the man next to her replied, offering his hand to her with the palm facing up.

Relief filled her and Marie gave a bright smile as she place a hand in his, the sun glimmering off her purple fingernails.  “I don’t see why not.  Though there really isn’t a good time to introduce you,” murmured the sandy blonde, her heart soaring when his fingers closed over hers.

“I know what you mean.  I have doubts I’ll ever run into you on accident again either,” he confessed, his ebony eyes concerned.  Nibbling her lip, the twenty-nine year old seemed to weigh her options before shooting to her feet with a nod.

Taking her uncle’s hand, she lightly pulled him to his feet before pulling towards the woods.  As she charged forward, she tapped into a bit of ‘Spade’ to get rid of her building anxiety.  She was really putting the trust of the people she lived with to the test here.  There was every chance she would get severely punished for her actions but she just didn’t see better way to keep Dave in her life.  “You aren’t doing what I think you are,” her dad’s former intern intoned from behind her, sounding just as nervous as she felt.

“Sorry Dave, I don’t see much other choice.  I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to meet you at any point and I need you to meet the others before I okay any other meetings anyway.  Trust me, Scarecrow would be able to smell a stranger on my clothes and would probably flip his shit.  This is the best thing I can think of.  I just hope I’m not overestimating just how much these people trust me,” she replied, a bit of humor coloring her voice as her adrenaline began to flow.  In the back of her head, Spade jumped for joy simply and watched the proceedings with great interest.  If things kept going like this, the two of them could merge and become the singular person they were meant to be.

“And what happens if you are?” the older man asked, only sounding more apprehensive as he was dragged along.  When she only cackled much like her lover in response he felt his skin grow cold with dread.

“Then you’d better pray they just kill us.  You don’t want to know what Joker alone would do if he thought I betrayed him.  Then there’s Crane and Scarecrow...  Man, I don’t even want to think about what they’d do,” replied the female, sounding even more amused despite the horrible things she was saying.

Before he could protest or pull away, they were breaking free of the forest; the field that led to the house seeming far too open.  There were also all sorts of strange plants that were the work of Ivy and more than likely deadly to strangers.  “Don’t worry about the flora.  They know me, if you stay close you should be fine.  In theory,” she advised, leading him past giant things that looked like venus flytraps out of a Ren and Stimpy cartoon.  As they made their way by some of them even open their ‘mouths’ at him to reveal their sharp fangs.  So, when they got past all of that, he was immensely grateful.  It was then he realized they were in front of the door and he instinctually tried to pull away.

“I have a feeling things will be fine, after an initial adjustment period,” Marie encouraged, giving him a small smile before she swung the door open.

“Guys!  I brought home some company,” she called into the house, not surprised when the three main occupants came running out.  The only people missing were Joker and his goons, having long gone off to set up more ‘Fearful Grin’ bombs.  The more he set off, the more people went crazy; causing a big problem with overpopulation as well as escapes in Arkham.

Crane was the first one to approach, looking exasperated, curious and just a touch wary.  When he saw who it was that stood beside his dear friend, his blue eyes went wide.  “Marie, why?” he whispered, his eyes shifting to the female as he waited for her explanation.  To her relief, instead of betrayed or angry, her former patient simply seemed confused.  He wanted to know why she brought a manager of Arkham to their hideout.

“He’s... my uncle.  Well, not really but he’s taken care of my family since I killed my father; even some time before that.  I had a talk with him and I don’t think he means us any harm,” she replied calmly, looking up at Dave expectantly.  Selena, Ivy and Jonathan also stared at him, a tense silence filling the room as they seemed to be assessing just how much of a threat he was for themselves.

Licking his lips, the manager of the asylum that had once held these people slowly raised his hands with his palms held outward; careful not to make any sudden moves.  Crane, of course, was first to approach; Scarecrow lurking close to the surface as he stopped bare inches from ramming into the shorter, slightly fatter man.  The tips of their noses even touched briefly, Dave not daring to breathe or blink as two people appeared to glare at him at the same time.  The taller, much more gaunt chemist sneered before shifting his gaze to Marie, his gaze going instantly to worried.  “Come, let Selena and Ivy take care of him.  You haven’t eaten,” he whispered, leading her into the kitchen by her arm.  This left their guest at the mercy of two very suspicious femme fatales.

“Are you sure he’s straight?  I know he would never hurt you but why would he care about the rest of us?” Jonathan asked as soon as they were out of earshot, steering her to sit at an empty chair.

The amused woman only smiled, removing her wig to shake out her hair.  “Because you’ve all treated me better than Roger ever did.  He’s reasonably intelligent and he genuinely wants me to be happy,” she replied watching as the obviously flustered man made her a sandwich.  This at least gave the one man duo in front of her pause and a thoughtful expression came over his face as he set a plate and glass of milk in front of her.

“You would know him better than me.  I trust your judgement but if he ever betrays us, I can’t promise his death will be quick,” the lanky murderer whispered, his eyes shining black for just a second.

“You mean you wouldn’t... none of you would blame me for this?” she whispered, feeling a bit ashamed for assuming they would so easily turn on her.  The shocked look on her friend’s face only made her feel even worse.

Instantly, he was taking a seat beside her to capture her hands in his bonier ones; his blue eyes locked on hers as he shook his head almost desperately.  “Never, never.  Not after everything you’ve done to prove to us that you trust us, that you care for us.  Even Joker would never blame you, it would be his fault alone,” the villain assured, his gaze moving back to the females who continued to look the newcomer over.  Finally they deemed him okay and motioned him to come inside.  Something the nervous man did very reluctantly.

“Speaking of Joker, this pretty much gives away my little travels outside.  I never did figure out why you didn’t just tell him what I was doing,” Marie whispered, allowing her closest friend to pull her into a tight hug.

“You never went too far.  The few times I followed you, you seemed to know what you were doing and I decided to just leave you be.  You seemed to enjoy the feeling of escaping so I kept up the appearance of disapproval,” he explained, sounding slightly amused as he kissed her cheek.

Without warning, his lips were covering hers in a chaste but no less passionate kiss just as Dave Mickleson walked into the room.  Ignoring their stunned guest, the former Psychiatrist slowly broke the kiss to release a ragged breath.  “I... I’m sorry Marie.  I know better but... I just can’t seem to help loving you,” he confessed, slowly getting to his feet to leave when his companion shot out a hand to grab his wrist.  A rosy blush colored her pale cheeks and sorrow shone in her stormy eyes as she tugged Jonathan back toward her.

“Hey Dave, would you go hang with Selena and Ivy in the living room?  I’ll be there in a second,” she requested, not moving her gaze from Crane’s as the suddenly shy male took the seat he recently vacated.

Thankfully her uncle complied, looking awkward as well as confused as the two women took his arms with identical grins of mischief on their faces.  “Jonathan, don’t be ashamed that you love me.  Hell, I’m probably the only female in your life that Scarecrow doesn’t want to actively kill.  I have to admit, I love you as well but...,” she trailed off, her eye moving to the side as she struggled with her next words.  None of this was fair to the pair that shared one body but she just couldn’t bring herself to regret choosing Joker and she didn’t really have a good explanation why she was more drawn to the dangerous clown.  A thin hand under her chin brought her attention to the duo she would have ended up with if Jack had never come into her life.

“You don’t have to explain.  We understand.  The heart is a fickle thing, something  _ he _ has come to learn.  In all our years as one being;  _ he _ never knew what it was to love, to actually fear for another’s well-being.  You have made us both more human and you have earned our loyalty for life,” he murmured in a reassuring tone, closing his eyes as a heartbroken expression came over his too pale face.

Silence stretched between the pair, Marie painfully aware Scarecrow would never allow another female anywhere near Crane simply because of his loyalty to her.  He would kill any woman who even tried to flirt with the chemist and in ways she was better off not thinking about.  Because of her, this man would more than likely end up alone; never having felt what true love was.  It was a hefty realization to come to and she felt her heart crack.  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him to burrow her face into his chest as she began to sob loudly.  Just as his own arms came up to return the embrace, the door opened to announce the arrival of her lover and his army.

“What the fuck is Dave Mickleson doing here?!” came a roar from the entry hall, making the pair wince as they shot to their feet in unison to try to stop a disaster from occurring.


	33. A Huge Mess

Smoke billows out into a dimly lit room as two men stand in front of a large, mahogany desk.  Both of them looked slightly nervous but stood their ground as the end of a cigar flared to life.  “So yer tellin’ me that the bitch who waxed Big Roge is sittin’ pretty with Joker,” came a voice that was more like a deep rumble than human speech.  One of the men stepped forward, the mustache on his upper lip twitching as he met the speaker’s eyes steadily.

“Yeah and she’s pregnant too.  What are we gonna do now boss?  We can’t go against the clown.  We’ve seen what happened to Ramone’s crew,” he replied, flinching when a ring covered, meaty fist slammed down hard on the dark, polished wood of the desk.  Splotches of white stained the tanned skin and a green colored tinted a few of his fingernails.

“Don’t tell me what to do Jerry.  The only one who gives orders around here is me.  Yer job is to get me the information I tell ya to and do as yer told.  I want you and Carl to get a group together.  We’re gonna come up with a plan,” growled the shadowed man as he slowly got to his feet.

The two men in front of the desk cowered slightly as the towering man slowly moved around until the light was shining on his face.  Horrified gasps left the pair but they stood their ground, not daring to move in case he decided to turn his rage on them.  His face was an unnatural white, his lips a ruby red that stretched into a rictus of a grin that didn’t match his infuriated expression.  Even his brown hair was beginning to change, becoming a bright, lime green.  Leaning down so his nose was against Jerry’s, the hulking, suit wearing man brought the ember of his cigar dangerously close to his cheek.  “We’re going to make them regret killing my best friend,” he snarled, pressing the burning tip into the skin and laughing at the sound of skin sizzling.

Marie sighed as she slowly sat up, stretching and yawning before she swung her legs over her mattress.  As she waddled to the bathroom to go pee for what felt like the five billionth time, she found herself reflecting about the events of yesterday.  The inclusion of Dave Mickleson had gone over like a lead balloon.  It had taken both her and Crane to keep Jack from pouncing the poor man and slitting his throat.  After a long explanation, the ‘Clown Prince’ had finally allowed him to come visit and had even given him a burner phone before immediately throwing him out.  The conversation that had followed certainly hadn’t been a fun one and he had berated her about leaving the house.  He had even threatened to nail all the secret passages up, sparking another argument.

Sighing as she brushed her teeth and washed her hands, the weary female closed her eyes as their angry words to eachother echoed through her head.  It had gotten rather heated for a few minutes before Scarecrow had come charging in to pick her up and carry her out of the room, leaving both of them a bit speechless.  After a few moments, Crane explained that so much stress wasn’t good for her so close to giving birth.  She only had a week left until she entered her ninth month and from there it would only be a matter of time.  Looking down at the huge dome she sported, the former psychologist felt a bit of apprehension wash through her.

She had been trying not to think about it but it was quickly becoming impossible to do so.  She would more than likely be giving birth at this house, with only a handful of villains as medical help.  While Crane and Ivy had some experience in medicine, she couldn’t really say the same for Jack or Selena.  They both knew enough to take care of basic first aid as well as remove bullets.  Childbirth was another matter altogether.  On top of that, things were only getting more hectic on the outside the more gas-bombs her lover set off.  There were more and more crimes as well as new super villains.  It was a miracle none of that had made it to the house yet.  It was only the ‘Clown Prince’s’ efforts to make friends with all of the up and comers that kept the crazed masses from seeking them out.

While all of this kind of scared her, Joker couldn’t be more ecstatic; cackling whenever he heard news about new attacks.  With Gotham quickly descending in chaos, Batman was getting desperate.  Desperate enough to try to get in contact with the criminal to attempt to come to terms over cessation of further attacks with Fearful Grin.  A fact that only made the killer cackle harder.  That alone showed that the Bat, even with all of his technology, was having a lot of trouble finding the antidote or vaccine for the gas mixture.  Essentially, that meant that the entire city was in the palm of his hand to do with as he pleased.  A truly horrifying prospect that made her glad he loved her as much as he did.

Drying off her face, she wandered back to the room, unsurprised to find the bed empty.  Shaking her head and rolling her stormy eyes, she grabbed a purple pair of comfy loungewear before heading out into the hall.  Knocking on the door next to hers to let Jonathan know she was awake, the drowsy woman made her way to the stairs and carefully made her way down.  She only made it halfway before she felt steadying hands on either side of her enlarged waist.  “I suppose its useless to yell at you about not waiting.  Let’s just get you downstairs,” sighed a soft baritone as her former patient helped her to the first floor.

As soon as their feet touched the floorboards, Ivy and Selena were coming at them with identical expressions of concern on their faces.  Before either of them could ask what was going on, Joker was skidding into the house with his goons; shouting instructions to everyone as he closed the distance to the four of them.  Then, to everyone’s utter shock, he punched Selena hard in the face.  He looked about ready to kill her as he shook a gloved fist, glowering at her redheaded partner as the plant hybrid moved to be by her girlfriend’s side.  “Joker, what,” Marie began to ask, flinching when he spun on her with fire in his eyes.

“This little bitch told Batso where to find me,” he snarled as the thief picked herself up, wiping the blood from her nose as well as her split lip.

“You’re out of control Joker!  If left up to you, the entirety of Gotham would become monsters.  What happens after that?  Are you ever going to stop?  You’re making the city more dangerous for everyone, including Marie and your child,” the dark haired femme tried to reason, flinching as her lover gave her a slightly betrayed glance as well.

The ex-Psychologist could only stand in place, wondering vaguely if all of this was really happening.  She was dimly aware of moving forward in an almost mechanical manner, a slight buzzing filling her ears as her former patient and current friend tried to justify her actions.  The monologue only stopped when she was standing in front of Catwoman.  Silence stretched between the two of them before Marie was raising her hand and slapping the other woman  _ hard _ .  Then she spun on her heel and went back to Crane and Joker, the trio moving to the door with the henchmen without another word.  “W-wait, please!  He promised me he just wanted an antidote,” came a desperate voice from behind them, followed by a flurry of footsteps.

“And you believed him?  Just how wound around his fingers does he have you?” Spade hissed, sliding to the forefront and merging with her normal personality slightly as she spun to glare at a woman she had considered almost as close as a sister up until recently.  She kept moving despite wanting to stop and give this woman a real piece of her mind, not really wanting to take the chance of Batboy catching them.

“There’s nowhere you can hide anyway, he has all the mob bosses looking for you,” came a response that caused her rage to burn hotter as well as a very slight feeling of horror.

Joker, however, wasn’t as inclined to let that one go.  He knew just as well as she did what that meant and she saw the faintest flash of true terror on his painted face.  Whirling around, the tux clad murderer made his way back to Selena while Crane continued to try to steer her toward the door.  “You fucking bitch!  Don’t ya have a fucking brain in your head or did you not stop to think just why someone like Doc would rather be with me?  Weren’t ya the one that, uh, saved her from her so called fiance?” he snarled, one of his throwing knives coming into his gloved hand with a quick flick of his wrist.  Flinching the caught thief looked to her lover, a bit shocked to find very little support in that corner.

“He was abusive as shit but what does that have to do with anything?” the legitimately stunned woman whispered, fiddling nervously with an ebony lock of her long hair.  This at least gave the raging supervillain pause, his tongue flicking out to lick ot his lipstick coated scars.  Before he could ask, a huge commotion came from the front door.

Swearing as he spun, he went silent as he took in the appearance of one of his more peripheral partners.  This particular boss had had to be convinced of a partnership by not only the deaths of many of his henchmen but a clear threat to his very life.  The camaraderie between them was pretty much non-existent, the man blatantly ignoring orders.  The only reason why he hadn’t been killed was the fact he hadn’t done anything to interfere.  Just seeing him in the state he was in made the ‘Clown Prince’ burst into laughter.  “Gee, I’m flattered that you’ve had enough of a change of heart to take fashion tips from yours truly,” taunted the purple clad male, keeping an eye on Crane and Marie out of the corner of his eye.

Thankfully Scarecrow had taken over, shoving the heavily pregnant female behind his back and bracing for a fight as his dark eyes narrowed.  The sandy haired spitfire, on the other hand, had different ideas.  With Spade obviously mixed in with her normal emotions, the former doctor was trying to get around the skinnier man to attack the newcomers.  The amount of hatred and fear on her pale face made the wheels in Joker’s head start to turn.  Was this man one of the people Roger had dealings with and if so, what had he done to her to bring such a burning fury to her normally gentle eyes.

There she was, right fucking there.  So fucking close he could reach out and snap her neck like he desperately wanted to.  Instead, Tony focused his gaze on his ‘partner’ before smiling.  When the Bat had started to canvas the city for criminals tied to Joker that would be willing to seek him out, he had almost thought it was too good to be true.  Now that he was so close to his goal, it wouldn’t do to fuck things up now.  “You know damn well why I look like this as well as why I’m here.  We need a fuckin’ antidote to this shit,” he growled, forcing himself to act as if the woman hissing at him like an angry cat was of no consequence to him.  A hard thing given that the whore had killed a man he considered family.

Marie wanted to both run away and gouge the man’s eyes out, ‘Spade’ fighting hard against her common sense and self control.  The man before her had committed horrifying atrocities in front of her, had even included Roger in a lot of those activities.  When he was around, he made sure to let her know just who was boss; not afraid to hit her in front of her fiance.  Knowing her now dead ‘lover’, he probably concluded she must have done something to deserve it.  The fact that he was here, as well as highly mutated, didn’t bode well for her situation.  The only thing that made her feel even slightly better was the fact both Crane and Scarecrow stood between her and the beast.

Keeping a close eye on the body language of the two of them, Joker narrowed his green eyes as a dangerous grin spread across his painted face.  The scars that stretched from the corners of his mouth only accentuated the already horrifying expression.  One of his throwing knives easily slid into his hand with a subtle flick of his wrist and he began to slowly close the distance between him and the man that blocked the door.  Ivy and Selena moved forward as well, the redhead’s eyes narrowed as she tried to assess just what happened to her plants through her strange connection to them.  “You see, I’m just not willin’ ta, uh, give such an important substance out willy nilly,” he cooed in a smooth mid-tone, his voice silky with a dangerous tone.

Tony only grinned back one of the hands he had clasped behind his back reaching for the pistol he had under his shirt.  He just needed to bide his time, get the bastard to come a bit closer.  If he was quick enough, he could kill both Joker and Scarecrow at the same time.  Just a few more steps and the bastard would be in range of his piddly gun.  Unfortunately, the clown was too smart for that and stopped just outside of where the bullet would connect.  To add to the mess, he heard a familiar engine pull up to the isolated house.  The Bat had shown up a lot earlier than expected, meaning someone here had already contacted the psycho.  Things were going south quick and he felt uncontrollable rage began to fill him.  He was so close to avenging Roger, to killing the bitch and the Clown in one go.  He wasn’t about to let things go down like this.

Marie watched what was happening unfold as if it was in slow motion.  She could see a certain, leather covered vigilante coming toward the door at a rapid pace.  At the same time, she saw the disfigured boss tense with his hands behind his back.  Realization dawned on her far too late and she tried to dodge around Jonathan at the same time the bastard began to move.  This only resulted in him stopping her.  The duo in one body obviously saw what was happening as well but they weren’t willing to risk her safety.  A notion that was put to the test when she saw the gun the big man pulled.

Reality almost seemed to pull away from her as the sun glinted off the dull, black metal of the tiny weapon.  Across from him, Joker got into a defensive position as he showed off the throwing knives in both his hands.  While she was more scared than she had ever felt, her lover looked exhilarated.  “Make a move ya bastard, I dare ya,” he hissed, his eyes moving from the rapidly advancing hero outside to the mob boss that had a gun pointed at him.

“Both of you stop where you are!” came a guttural rasp as Batman reached the door.

Twitching, Tony turned to glare at the Bat out of the corner of his eye.  “I thought I told you I needed him alive,” the rubber covered man growled, pulling out a black, bat-shaped taser that looking likes it shot out similarly shaped prongs.  Just seeing it nearly made both Marie and Joker burst into laughter.  How much of an ego could one man have?

“Plans have changed cowl boy,” snarled the heavy-set gangster as he returned his focused to the murderer in front of him.

“I’m doin’ ya a favor anyway.  This man is nothing more than a mad dog who’s spreading his disease from person to person.  If he and those around him aren’t put down, it’ll only continue to spread,” he continued, some of his boys moving to protect him from both the Bat and Scarecrow.  The bitch wasn’t a threat no matter how loud she snarled.

“Stand down!  If you kill him, we may never find out what the antidote is,” the hero tried to reason, only getting a laugh from the man in front of him.

“Now who said I ever cared about gettin’ that antidote in the first place?” came the reply as the gun cock.

Suddenly, things went from slow motion to fast forward: Jonathan charging at the same time Tony took aim.  Joker also moved, throwing his knives before retrieving more from holders he had sewn into the lining of his tux jacket.  At the same time Crane collided with the mobster, he was firing his gun and the ‘Clown Prince’ was tossing a knife.  To add to the confusion, Batboy also charged forward as Ivy and Selena also moved.  This was good because Marie was moving to put herself between the shot at the same time all of this was happening.  Before she could get too far, the two women were there and restraining her as she watched her lover take the bullet in his left shoulder; dangerously close to his heart.

The insane criminal only laughed as blood poured from the wound, watching as his knives hit the mob boss in the gullet.  Blossoms of red bloomed on the white shirt he wore under his black tux coat but he also grinned around the blood in his mouth as he shoved Crane away from him like the man weighed nothing.  Behind him, Batman surged past the line of his henchmen to tackle the mutated man to the ground.  Joker, of course, took this opportunity to rush toward his extremely distraught lover.  Her gray eyes were wide and unseeing, her face a mask of sheer hysteria as she struggled against the two women holding her like a hellcat.  Even when he was right in front of her, she kept fighting like some wild thing, no comprehension in her eyes at all.  She only stopped when he pulled off his gloves and grabbed her face.

Everything was a haze, the only thing that mattered was that she got to her husband; that she made sure he was okay.  She was dimly aware of two pairs of hands stopping her from moving forward and she fought against them with all the strength she could muster?  She had to get to him!  Couldn’t they understand that he was hurt?  That if he died, she would surely go mad?  Letting out incomprehensible noises, she bucked and squirmed until she felt rough palms settle on her cheeks in a firm grip.  Blinking, she saw the painted face of her psychotic lover and nearly wept with relief.

Before anyone could move, all Hell broke loose.  The goons Tony had brought rushed to protect their boss, some of them tackling the Bat while others headed toward Marie’s small group.  Crane, who was recovering from hitting his head on the floor when the gangster had pushed him, saw what was going to happen and simply let his dark partner come forward.  The endless madness filled him and moved his limbs despite the pain and throbbing in his head.  Scarecrow didn’t care for his human host’s condition.  All he cared about was protecting the heavily pregnant woman who was his only friend.  Joker also moved to protect her, motioning for Selena and Ivy to keep her safe.

Then things seemed to freeze, the group coming at them unsure of what to do while the vigilante behind them struggled with both Tony and his own crowd of goons.  The purple clad villain shifted as the dark eyed thing wearing Jonathan stood by his side.  Marie could only watch, feeling a faint tight sensation in her lower back.  Wanting to shrug it off as normal back pain, she had a suspicion all the stress had made their child decide to make an appearance.  Rubbing her taut dome as the two men she loved dearly prepared to fight, the former doctor hoped desperately that the pain would pass and no more would follow.  Giving birth while there was a life or death fight happening wasn’t exactly an ideal situation.


	34. Times of Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Loooong chapter ahoy. Seriously, buckle in for a long sit.

A frantic figure paced the hardwood floor while an anthro rabbit watched with a mixture of bemusement and irritation.  “Who gives a shit if the Bat is heading toward them?  Good riddance if ya ask me.  You never liked Joker and she isn’t Alice,” hissed the creature, his long ears tipped back in irritation as he took a sip of tea.

“I know she’s not!  I know that!  Its just... she’s been so good to us March-y.  She came to see us a lot before that clown put her on house arrest.  Bringing us tea and even your dreadful carrot scones,” the crazed man hissed, wringing his bony hands as his heels clicked over the floor below him.

The lapine heaved a sigh before getting up slowly to place a furred paw-hand on his companion’s shoulder.  “While those things were nice, it’s no use getting so worked up about it.  You don’t even know where she is,” the humanoid rabbit tried to reason, only to be shocked when his longtime friend shrugged off the paw-hand on his shoulder.  Then the crazed man was turning to face him, the glare on his face giving the odd creature pause.

“Why do ya think I went down into the sewers to talk to Croc?  Does he seem like the type to like tea?” snarled the blonde, his prominent Adam’s apple working as he swallowed hard.  Fear and slight disgust shone in his blue eyes as he pinched his beaked nose in irritation.

March could only blink, disbelief and horror on his furred face.  “You went to see Croc?  You’re damn lucky he didn’t just eat you and call it a day,” whispered the man-like rabbit, his stubby tail twitching slightly through the hole in his pants he had made for it.

“The only thing that stopped him was me screaming Marie’s name on a hunch.  She left a bit of an impression on him during her time in the sewers.  She wasn’t the least bit afraid of him and that apparently means something to the beast.  He let me give him a phone for when he found out where they were,” Hatter replied, straightening his tattered, patched tux before he began to pace again.  His long time friend opened his mouth to argue when the phone in his pocket rang and he fumbled with it to answer.

Miles away, Marie found herself in a rather difficult position.  Selena and her girlfriend Ivy we doing a good job of keeping her walled off from the goons but she could still see what was going on.  Blood poured freely from Joker’s shoulder wound as he and Scarecrow began to slowly circle the group of henchmen that was blocking their escape.  In the middle of the room, Batman was still struggling with his own group of thugs; eventually breaking free of Tony with skilled usage of mixed martial arts.  The deformed mob boss only grinned insanely, blood oozing freely over his lower lip as sunlight reflected off his green tinted, black hair.  The blotches of white on his face slowly spread as the insanity in his wide eye became more severe.  Grabbing one of the knives still in his large belly, the crazed male mulled it out slowly while still grinning; lifting the weapon to his twitching, red stained lips to lick his own blood from the blade.  “Jesus fucking Christ...,” Selena hissed, going pale as a faintly sickened expression came over her face.

The former Psychologist behind her, however, found herself unphased by the turn of events.  After what she had seen during her time with Joker, nothing truly surprised her anymore.  The only thing that really concerned her at the moment was a resurgence of the pain from earlier.  The large dome of her stomach hardened like a rock and the tight feeling in her back evolved into discomfort as she let out a slow breath.  Sure she was eight months and getting close to her ninth but that didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to wind up in labor at this moment.  Unfortunately, it was looking more and more likely that was the case.  Her only solace was that labor took hours and the entire conflict might very well be done before she reached the point where she would give birth.

Still, as she watched her lover and closest friend charge the group of ten, she had a gut feeling she wouldn’t get that lucky.  Blades flew while guns fired, Tony taking advantage of the distraction to charge the vigilante with the knives he had pulled out of his stomach.  Batman dodged out of the way at the same time Scarecrow collided into a bunched together group of six.  One of the men fell backwards into the group the hero was battling and inadvertently caused a chain reaction.  He fell into another man, who in turn stumbled into Tony as he was getting to his feet and gearing up to try to tackle the rubber clad vigilante.  This made the overweight boss stumble and gave the overwhelmed hero an opening.  With a deft flick of his wrist, the Bat threw one of his themed weapons; hitting the man square in the chest.

Grunting, the hulking man looked down at the wing points buried in his chest between his pectorals.  As he looked back up to smirk at the taller man across from him, said costumed man was raising a black remote of some sort and pressing a button.  Electricity danced across the object as the mob boss went stiff and his teeth clenched from the high voltage.  Yet, it didn’t bring him down.  Instead, the brute began to laugh; his voice distorted by his muscles involuntarily twitching due to the shocks being run through them.  Meaty hands rose up to grab the black, bat-shaped object, grimacing as his hand got zapped as well.  Then he was pulling it free with a wet noise that nearly made the heavily pregnant female watching come very close to puking.

While all of this was happening, Joker and Crane had their own hands full with neutralizing the group that were trying to get past them and to Marie.  Scarecrow had full control over his host’s body and his inky eyes glimmered with hatred as well as a chilling joy that made her blood curdle.  She never noticed Tony shift his focus from the ‘hero’ to her.  Then he was moving, his men swarming the ‘Dark Knight’ to ensure he wouldn’t be stopped.  As surrounded as he was, the rubber clad man could only shout a warning for Marie.  This shout was enough to draw the attention of Crane and Joker as well as the former doctor.

Cursing, the ‘Clown Prince’ moved to intercept the crazed man heading toward his pregnant wife when he was stopped by a fresh wave of henchmen.  The amount of people the brute had brought with him seemed endless, helped by the fact that a fair amount of his own men had turned, and the villain found himself feeling helpless for the first time in his life.  Scarecrow, on the other hand, shoved his way through the wall of humanity; uncaring for the deep stab wounds or bullets entering the body he had stolen.  He felt none of the pain, only tasted coppery blood that served to drive his frenzy.  The dark being would push this body until it was no more to protect Marie and Jonathan made no move to stop him.

Deep inside, in the small house he had long ago made in his own mind to shield himself, Crane could feel himself dying.  He could feel all the injuries his passenger was receiving but he forced himself not to care.  Coughing raggedly, the gaunt male got to his feet to make himself some tea; ignoring the blood pouring from his wounds.  Dying while protecting the woman he loved, it was a far better fate than he had ever expected for himself but he didn’t expect it to be an easy death.  In fact, he expected Scarecrow to drag out his existence as long as possible.  The agony would be intense by the time everything was said and done but he would put himself through all of it again.  For once, he and the demon he shared his body with shared the same opinion.  The well-being of him and his body came second to that of Marie’s.

Oblivious to all of this, the former Psychologist only saw Jonathan slam into her former fiance’s closest partner and knock him to the ground.  In the brief glimpse she got of the possessed chemist, the young woman saw her dear friend was bleeding profusely and felt her heart jump as a fresh contraction wound its way across her midsection.  Gritting her teeth as she breathed through the intense discomfort, she began to move to help; only to be stopped by Ivy.  Looking up at the crimson haired plant hybrid, the ex-doctor was a bit surprised to see protectiveness all over the other woman’s face.  “He needs my help, you fucking bitch,” came from her mouth, Spade enraged at her interference.  Thankfully, the leaf covered nymph seemed more amused by her outburst than offended.

“He can take care of himself.  Besides, neither of them would want you putting yourself in danger for them,” the murderess reasoned, her leather clad partner nodding enthusiastically.

Spade hissed and wanted to argue but Marie quickly put a mental muzzle on her louder counterpart.  Right now, logic and level-headedness was needed and that part of her was anything but.  As much as he wanted to jump in and save Crane or even help the man she loved, she would be worse than useless as heavily pregnant as she was.  On top of that; the more time went on, the more sure she was that she was in active labor.  In fact, she was experiencing yet another contraction and she found herself hard pressed to keep up the appearance that nothing was wrong.  There was no way she would be able to fight in any capacity.

The formerly calculating and rather intelligent criminal boss that Roger had respected was now utterly insane, laughing wildly even while Scarecrow did his best to strangle the life from him.  The dark being’s borrowed body was bleeding heavily from several wounds as well as his mouth, his cracked, dry lips pulled back into a frightening grimace; his eyes a bottomless black.  The more enraged the thing got, the more it seemed like he was wearing a costume made of Crane’s skin.  Strange sounds came from the gaunt figure as the flesh over his face seemed to almost stretch and change.  It was almost as if the horrible being was taking over entirely, shifting and changing form beneath the body he borrowed.  A fact that wasn’t lost on Joker as he caught glimpses of his partner during his own skirmish.

The tux wearing criminal had seen the darker side of Crane often, had even seen the original mask he had found all those years ago.  He had seen more than enough to know whatever Scarecrow was, he wasn’t human or even natural.  The creature seemed to be something dark, something that felt wholly wrong.  Before Marie, he had often thought about killing the strange duo simply because of the dark being.  The entity was the only thing he truly feared and he had prayed to never see its true face.  As his knives flew and slit throats right and left, he found himself witnessing just that.  The former chemist’s face continued to ripple as his features shifted to almost resemble the strange mask that had been laying in that crawlspace for ages and the clown felt an unconscious nausea begin to fill his body.

Still struggling with the seemingly endless men, Batman also saw what was happening and felt a helpless horror.  He had never seen something that felt so... so off, so unnatural, so just plain wrong.  It felt like everything inside him was trying to reject what he was witnessing and he struggled to maintain control as he incapacitated as many of the goons as he could.  Some of them even appeared to be Joker’s own men and he felt the slightest bit of vindictive victory.  Using that to distract himself from the insanity of Jonathan’s transformation, the rubber covered vigilante slowly made his way to the clown who had long been a rival of sorts.  If they were going to get through this alive, they would need to join forces.

Well aware of what the self proclaimed hero was up to, the villain simply rolled his eyes and began to edge toward him to meet the man halfway.  With his own men taking the opportunity to try to overthrow him, he found himself in a situation where he had to depend on his enemy to have a chance.  Marie was still safe for the moment, thanks to Crane, but he felt an increasing need to get her out of her.  Something about how strained her face looked and the way she kept rubbing the huge dome of her belly.  She was almost nine months pregnant now and the situation was extremely stressful.  It was very possible that she could be...  A sudden charge from one of his own ‘generals’ made that train of thought halt and he turned to parry to man, their blades meeting with a clashing sound.  His teeth gritted as he pushed back against the man, the pressure making the gunshot wound in his shoulder bleed even harder.

To add to the confusion, a loud roar came from the front door; making everyone turn to see what all the commotion was about.  There, almost hunched on all fours with his deformed snout twisted into a snarl, was Croc.  His fleshy tail thudded with a meaty ‘thwap’ against the floorboards and he released a guttural noise as he charge forward much like the animal he was beginning to resemble.  This caused the huge group of men to part like a sea, allowing a harried looking Hatter and March Hare to run in.  The newcomers headed right for Marie, only encountering resistance when Ivy and Selena put themselves in the way.

The redheaded femme summoned vines up through the very floorboards to coil around her arms.  Beside her, the leather clad Catwoman snapped her whip loudly in warning, the pair glaring at the the other pair in front of them.  Having been distracted by Croc’s explosive entrance, Marie didn’t see what the commotion was about until her four friends came very close to attacking eachother.  Caught in the middle of another, hard contraction, the heavily pregnant woman managed to waddle forward despite the rising amount of pain and discomfort inside her.  The best way she could describe the sensation was that it felt as if someone had applied a clamp to her spine as well as to her hips and was tightening the instrument in all the wrong places.  There was also an incredible feeling of pressure as her child started to move down into her hips.

Just before they could add to the chaos, she placed herself between them to give Hatter a hug.  This seemed to be enough to stun the others into relaxing just slightly.  “You  _ know _ them?” all four asked in unison, sounding different variants of shocked.

“Its a lot to explain but all of you are my friends so please, can we just focus on matters at hand,” the former Psychologist suggested gesturing to the chaos still taking place in the huge but dilapidated room.

Scarecrow and Tony were currently on their feet and grappling, the dark thing wearing Jonathan’s skin gritting his borrowed teeth.  The form beneath the flesh continued to ripple and distort while the face he wore shifted to something inhuman.  Due to Croc’s sudden entry, many henchmen had scattered, giving Joker an opportunity to make a break for Marie.  He came within just a few feet of reuniting with her when he felt a rubber glove grab his wrist.  Whirling to bury a throwing knife in Batboy’s head, the ‘Clown Prince’ stopped when he saw the other man gesturing to the front door. Turning on his heel again, the killer felt his heart drop when he saw practically all the mobs in Gotham gathered on the front stoop.  “Fat lotta good those fucking plants of Chlorophyl tits are doin’,” he spat, taking a brief moment to look at his injured, left shoulder.

His tongue flicked out nervously to lick the scars on the corners of his lips as he took in the damage.  The blood flow had slowed to a trickle and he could feel the bullet lodged between his muscle and bone.  Rolling his shoulder slightly as the huge groups began to move into the building, he confirmed his suspicions that the bullet didn’t exit his body.  He felt no pain from a huge exit wound or even the blood such a wound would cause.  While it was good due to him not bleeding nearly as much as he would be, it was also very bad given he would have to pry it out himself.  It was a messy operation and could be worse if the bullet had just gone through.  Still, he could only laugh as his adrenaline pumped and he readied himself for a fight like no other.

“I didn’t know you had so many enemies,” came the gruff voice of a certain hero behind him, only making him laugh harder.

“Well, it doesn’t help that you sent out a citywide notice for my detainment,” the criminal replied through chuckles, reaching into his jacket deftly for more knives.

“I never told them where you were,” Batsy pointed out in his gravel through a blender voice.

“Did ya really think my enemies would pass up on an opportunity to take care of me?  No, I bet they traced you all the way here.  That car of yours isn’t exactly the most hidden thing in the world,” Joker replied, smoothing his curly, green tinted hair out of his vibrant eyes.  Then the army in the doors were charging forward, met by a ravenous Croc as well as Batman and the infamous Clown Prince of Crime.

Tony finally managed to shove away from the man who was trying to tear his throat out with his bare hands.  Deep gouges were in his wattled neck and hunks of flesh hung in strips from the gruesome looking wounds.  In front of him, the thing wearing human disguise heaved and shuddered unnaturally as bones and muscle cracked from somewhere deep inside its body.  The face it wore no longer even resembled the man that had charged him and yet all the wounded mobster could do was laugh.  He could taste his own blood, feel his very mind going and it was all just so funny.  Rolling his shoulders and grinning with blood pouring between his clenched teeth, the crazed man got into a defensive crouch.  The thing only let loose a rattling hiss, its bottomless eyes narrowed as it lowered its thin, wounded body to all fours.

The position of its limbs was terribly unnatural, enough to drive any sane man mad; the wounds on its body oozing a black ichor instead of blood.  It almost looked like it had never been human in the first place and yet still held humanoid features and shape.  Pulling back its upper lip, the thing dubbed ‘Scarecrow’ lifted its upper lip to reveal its human canines had fallen out.  Long, sharp, snake-like fangs were in their place and red points of light now glowed in the back of his ebony eyes.  There was no sign of Jonathan Crane in their mad depths and yet, all Tony could do was laugh as they circled eachother like two big cats fighting over territory.  His misguided men moved to help him with the monstrosity but he held up a hand to stop them.  “He’s mine fellas.  Mano a mano as it were,” he hissed, bracing as the thing lunged.

While not outwardly present, Crane was very much a prisoner in his own mind.  Outside the mental house he had built for his own conscious, things had turned hellish; dark creatures shambling in the bottomless darkness.  Every once in a while, something would scrape its loathsome claws down his door but he ignored it.  Nothing could get in unless he let it, of that he was certain.  Besides, the agony he was in made it hard for him to focus on anything else.  The transformation was taking a toll on him, let alone the wounds that had already been inflicted.  On top of that, he could almost feel himself being pulled away from his own body; the strings keeping his soul attached stretched dangerously taut.  If the last thread broke, he was unsure if the thing sharing his body would care enough to reach out to anchor him.  With him gone, ‘Scarecrow’ would have full control; nothing to stop him from doing as he pleased.

Coughing up vile tasting, black, tar-like fluid, the former chemist’s face contorted as another spasm ran through him.  He could feel his ribs separate as the bones in his spine stretched.  Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, he dimly hoped there would be body enough to use once this was all over.  No matter what his own fate was, he knew the dark beast would protect Marie to the very last.  This was the only thing that mattered to him so he simply rode the waves of cramps that felt like someone had lit his muscles on fire.  Then it happened, he felt hot blood pour into his mouth and something sharp and slimy shoved itself between him and his tenuous foothold in his body.  It wasn’t visible, just a feeling that encompassed him as his vision dimmed.  Just as he felt himself begin to slip, he felt unnatural claws grabbing his wrist.  The feeling of its flesh on his made his skin crawl with instinctual revulsion but he held on as his eyes opened to see his ‘roommate’s’ true face for the first time.

With their boss’s orders and a fresh wave of reinforcements, the criminals made a charge toward Marie; only to be met with four extremely protective super villains.  Taking advantage of the quartet’s distraction, the laboring female allowed herself to brace on a wall as the most powerful wave yet overtook her.  Her large dome was rock hard and a fine sheen of sweat coated her brow.  With the way things felt, this baby didn’t feel like sticking around.  Gritting her teeth, she tried to keep her breathing slow and even.  As a precaution, she had done plenty of research about home births while she had still been with Roger and working at Arkham.  She had a feeling the knowledge would come in handy one day with her fiance’s recreational hobbies being less than legal.  She had to be prepared to be pregnant while on the run.  She had never expected something like this to happen and felt bitter laughter bubble up despite her extreme discomfort.

_ ‘This crud seems attracted to you like shit to blanket...  But even if ya feel that amniotic sac break, you keep those legs shut.  Don’t ya push no matter how much ya feel ya need to,’ _ hissed a slightly sassy voice from in her head, making her smile as the contraction slowly released its grip.

_ ‘I’m not stupid you know.  You and I are one in the same, you should know very well that I had no intention of pushing unless I feel the child’s life is in danger,’ _ she retorted with a small grin, letting out a breath as the knot of her muscles finally loosened enough for her to straighten.  Some part of her was scared due to being so early but she was almost nine months pregnant anyways.  It would have only been a matter of time from there and some times the calculations about gestation could be off or wrong.  There was also the fact that her encounter with Joker had happened before the one with Roger, making it possible that her calculations were off.  If it was true, that would make this baby more than likely the clown’s.

All further thought down this vein flitted away like dust on a stiff breeze as her gaze shifted and she took in the enormity of the fight that was unfolding.  Various mobs from across Gotham, all of them probably having dealings with her lover, filled the huge entry room  Several of them had split of into other groups to fight all the people that were opposing their eradication of Joker and his crew.  Everything was going sideways rapidly and she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach when she finally saw Jonathan Crane.  Or, more accurately, what was left of him.

The creature inside the man was finally showing its true colors and she found herself wanting to vomit and scream at the same time.  It was the face as well as the position and changes to his body, they made her feel like she was losing her grip on sanity and it was only sheer willpower that kept her from going into hysterics.  As if scenting her fear, his dark eyes lifted to focus on her as he tore out her ex’s partner’s throat.  Red lifeblood sprayed into the air and the man’s ghastly laughter faded into a choked gurgle as his meaty hands tapped on the hardwood floor due to his dying convulsions.  Then the thing was straightening, heading right for her small group.  Its nostrils were flared as ancient eyes fixed solely on her.  Dimly aware of Selena swearing quite colorfully from the sight of the chemist, she began to move to head off disaster.  “Jesus!  Fucking spear th’bugger wi’yer vines!” snarled Hare, his brogue thick due to his extreme terror.

“No!  No one hurt him any more than he’s already been!  He won’t hurt me,” Marie protested, fighting the extreme urge to just run away before the thing wearing her friend’s skin got any closer.

Hatter, who had been in the middle of gutting a few mobsters, had stopped mid-slice at the blonde’s horror filled explanation.  The people he was fighting stopped as well, backing away from the bone thin thing that was closing distance far too quickly.  Just as the unnatural creature took the woman into his arms, Croc let loose a roar that chilled his blood before the sound of bones snapping as well as the scent blood filled the room.  “Fuck this,” hissed one of Tony’s men before simply dropping his gun and fleeing.  He wasn’t the only one, the few left being the rest of the mobs that had come to get rid of Joker.  Raising a brow at the men that still dared to oppose him, the flaxen haired killer licked blood from one of his victims off his blade before charging back into the fray.

Meanwhile, Joker found himself in an odd position he never thought he’d be in, even in his wildest dreams.  His back was pressed against his mortal enemy’s as they helped protect eachother from an onslaught of men.  Blood flew as screams rung in his ears, yet the deadly, crazed smile never left his painted face; the scars stretching from the corners of his mouth only making the expression that much more horrifying. Then Croc was releasing a second roar and the men attacking them seemed to stop as a thick, familiar, coppery smell began to fill the air.  It almost smelled like burned pennies, a smell that was painfully familiar to any man that had killed before.

It was finally the sound of the deformed man eating one of their comrades that made the house empty just as fast as it filled.  Men who had seemed determined to see his end were tripping over themselves in their rush to leave.  Not stopping to ask questions, the killer ran to where his woman was.  When he saw Scarecrow nearly hugging the life out of her, it took everything he had not to tear the loathsome being from her.  As it was, he was weaving around Ivy and March before he was finally taking the shaking woman into his arms.  The demon borrowing Crane hissed before slowly, reluctantly relinquishing its hold.  Then it simply collapsed, its eyes rolling back into its head as its too thin body convulsed and began to revert back to what it had been before.

Inside his head, Crane screamed out soundlessly in the empty abyss he had been shoved into; the injured fiend he shared his body with barely holding on due to his own pain.  His bottomless eyes were narrowed as his claws came close to slicing the former Psychiatrist’s skin but he didn’t let go, even when violent convulsions took over them both.  With a hard yank, the unearthly thing pulled him back into his protective house and wrapped shadowy arms around him.  A strange language came into his ear, the voice uttering it sounding like the mixture of a cat vomiting and a big animal growling, yet he found himself understanding every word as he lost consciousness.  Scarecrow, it seemed, had come to see him as a friend as well and wasn’t about to let either of them die without a fight.

While all this was happening, an extremely worried Marie was watching as he crumpled to the floor unconscious, his body slowly and very painfully, from the sounds of it, going back to normal.  The blood flowing from his numerous wounds had flowed to a trickle but that didn’t help her feel much better.  Pushing away her worried lover, she gestured towards Crane as well as his own wound.  “I’m fine but you need to be patched up, both of you.  Also, belfry boy is still here,” the golden haired femme pointed out before making a beeline to a stunned and frankly terrified looking Ivy.  While she tried to talk the hybrid into helping, the vigilante closed the distance between him and the remaining group.  Croc had left a while ago to chase after the men who had fled so that left six of Gotham’s most lethal criminals there to stare him down.

Holding up his gloved hands with his palms open and facing toward them to show he meant no harm.  “I can help administer medical aid, I don’t mean any harm here,” he gritted out in his gruff voice, not moving an inch as the motley crew assessed him.  Between them, lying bleeding on the floor, was the body of the man who had started this whole mess in the first place.

“Help Jonathan.  Ivy can take care of Joker,” Marie Jovian hissed, her face pale and strained as her hands rested on the prominent dome of her stomach.  Giving a nod, the hero moved toward the man who had recently turned into a monster.

The man who caused fear in the hearts of the citizens was curled in a fetal ball, barely breathing as blood continued to flow from his wounds.  A few of the signs left of his traumatic transformation were his teeth as well as the fact that he was taller and that was all.  The only wounds on him were from the fight alone, any from his change having mysteriously disappeared.  Kneeling, the ‘Caped Crusader’ opened a large pouch on his utility belt and began to pull out some rather advanced looking medical supplies.  In fact, he had made several himself; not always having easy access to a hospital if he wanted to keep his identity a secret.  Deciding to work on the worst of the other man’s wounds first, the disguised millionaire found himself inwardly amused by what was happening.  He really had just come here to get the antidote and nothing else.  To try to settle Joker’s hash at the same time would have been the height of foolishness.

Unknown to everyone, Scarecrow had take the injuries from the transformation onto himself.  Several would have outright killed his host but he would survive.  He honestly didn’t think he  _ could _ die.  Still, that didn’t mean he didn’t feel pain.  In the strange dwelling Crane had built for himself, he could feel all the injuries at once.  His human hadn’t fared much better, the wounds from both blade and bullet present on his body as well.  “Are we dying?” wheezed his mortal companion, making the ancient creature chuckle.

“I will not allow either of us to die.  I am afraid you’re stuck with me,” he hissed in the guttural cadence of his native language, oddly cognizant of what was happening.  To his surprise, the man understood him.

“Heh, not too long ago that would have scared me.  I suppose we’ve both changed,” the weary man whispered, looking like he was just barely clinging onto consciousness.

“It was her.  She... she taught us what love was,” the dark being husked, pulling the thin, injured man into a protective embrace as they slipped into unconsciousness.

As the dust settled, Marie was more than happy to slip into the background.  Leaning against a wall while the two wounded were cared for, she closed her stormy eyes as another, hard pain rolled through her.  The child inside was still as the pressure of it moving down grew to be unbearable.  Huffing through her nose as she fought against the urge to slide to the ground, soft sounds left her as she prayed this contraction would pass. She just needed a few more minutes for the men she cared for to get taken care of.  If her water broke now, it would no doubt shift focus needlessly to her.  In fact, she was surprised the others were distracted enough not to notice her current predicament.

Letting out a shuddery breath, she finally allowed herself to slide to the hardwood as she felt the pressure inside her reach an unbearable peak.  None too soon either; a strange, popping sensation coming from deep inside her as fluid poured from between her thighs in a torrent.  Swearing internally, she continued to breath slowly as her legs spread slightly.  The baby was on its way and all she could do was tilt her head backwards and breathe through it, her golden tresses spreading on the wall behind her as she cradled the rock hard mound of her stomach.  With how her luck was going, it more than likely wouldn’t take long for Scarecrow to scent what was going on and drag his broken body towards her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the sentiment, it was the fact labor could take hours and he needed help more than she did.  In a normal situation, births could take care of themselves with no complication; gunshot and stab wounds could not.  All she could do was hold on and pray the worst was taken care of before her precarious position was discovered.  As the pain let up slowly, Marie found herself reflecting on her situation and found herself genuinely amused by it.  She was about to give birth to a baby whose parentage she was unsure of in front of many people, one being her lover’s very antithesis.  If another contraction weren’t already building up, she would laugh at the sheer absurdity.

Batman finished sewing the wounds as quickly as he could, Ivy busily prying the bullet free from Joker’s shoulder as his red painted lips pulled up in a snarl.  “Fuck, take it easy with those tweezers.  Where did Bon Jovi run off to?” he hissed, his green eyes searching the blood splattered room for any sign of his lover.  When he saw her on the floor with her back braced against the wall and her hands on her heavily pregnant stomach, the killer felt his heart drop practically through the floor.  With the former scientist still digging in his left shoulder, he rose in a fluid movement and began to move forward jerkily; as if controlled by a drunken puppeteer.  Then those movements smoothed and he was moving as he felt panic wrap cold fingers around his throat.

None of this was helped when he saw the fluid spreading under her in a puddle and the strained looked on her pale face.  “Why didn’t you tell me,” he whispered, kneeling beside her and placing a gloved hand on the huge belly that was now contracting steadily.  She only winced before gesturing to his oozing shoulder.

“I can wait,” she whispered, a bit shocked to see Ivy had followed right behind him.  Selena, it seemed, had deemed it better to wait with the other group after what she had pulled.  The former geneticist gave her a shocked look before going back to work on her lover, to her relief and his irritation.

“Get off me!  She’s in labor!” snarled the incensed male, gesturing to the woman on the floor as if the redhead tending him was blind.

“Her life is not in danger, as much as I hate to say it she was right.  Her condition can wait.  The sooner you let me extract the bullet, the sooner I can tend to her,” whispered the villainess, a patient expression on her slightly green tinted face.  The scarred male opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut when Marie let out a soft moan of discomfort.

Glaring down at her as if he suspected she had let out the sound on purpose, he heaved a sigh before gesturing for plant woman to continue nursing him.  “Just get it over with,” he bit out as he became aware of motion in the corner of his eye.  Shifting slightly, he raised a brow to see  a certain animal themed individual heading toward them.  Growling as a headache began to pound between his temples, he let out a sough of irritation as he simply allowed the other man to approach.  With Crane still incapacitated, he was their best chance of this birth going smoothly.

“Is... is she...?” came the nervous, roughened voice of the vigilante, his tone making the clown all the more nervous.

“Yes, no idea how close she is.  Look, I normally would kill another man for even dreaming of touching her but I need your help.  As you can see I’m a bit distracted to remove her lower garments,” the tux clad psychopath hissed, hatred and desperation mixing in his green eyes.

Wrapped up in yet another wave of pain and pressure, Marie dimly heard his words and shook her head in near panic.  There was no way in Hell she wanted everyone in this room to get a look at her works.  Logically, she knew the underwear and pants had to come off but that didn’t mean she wanted a man like Batman seeing her most hidden of treasures up close.  She only stopped when Joker grasped her sweaty face in his bare hands and placed his painted forehead against hers.  “Shh, its okay Bon Jovi.  He may be as crazy as we are but he’s a ‘noble’ sort.  He won’t look at you as a sexual object in this situation.  Besides, I imagine he knows a bit more about this than I do,” reasoned his mid-tone, his voice soft and gentle as his callused thumbs gently brushed her cheeks.

Watching from his position from between the former Psychologist’s legs, Batman found himself more than just a little stunned to see how much this monster cared for her.  In all his time struggling against the man, he had never expected him to be capable of any human feeling.  Although the man was a menace to Gotham, seeing him like this made the ‘Dark Knight’s’ heart go out to him.  He could easily see himself in the clown’s position and would want help, even from someone that was a mortal enemy.  On top of that, there was more than one life at stake and he couldn’t walk away.  “Ma’am, ma’am please just look at me,” he whispered, some of the gravel fading from his voice as he tried to soothe her enough to trust him.

As her stormy, frightened eyes met his, he felt all the past he had with these people fade to the background.  This was a woman who was no different than anyone else, a woman who was in labor and needed his help.  “Very good Miss Jovian.  Now, I’m afraid I do have to take off your underwear.  I assure you that I get no thrill from seeing you or any woman like this.  I just want to help.  You need to get this child out of you and these will only impede that,” he reasoned, keeping his hands well away from her as he awaited her response.  When she gave the smallest nod and burrowed her face into his nemesis’ silk covered chest, he felt sympathy for her overtake his heart.

Her heart beat loudly in her ears as she felt rubber covered hands take of her loose maternity pants and underwear in a comforting, clinical manner.  Just feeling the sheer lack of lust did wonders in relaxing her and she let out a breath as her thighs fell open.  The man between her leg instantly blocked any visibility, fumbling with the cape attached to his shoulders for a few moments before draping it over her to help preserve her dignity.  Then a loud swearing came from her side and her eyes shifted to watch as the bullet was finally pulled from her companion’s shoulder.

At the same time, she felt an incredible, undeniable urge to push.  Taking in a deep breath she focused on tightening her core muscles and pushed with the pressure filling her.  Through the feeling of being stretched like never before, she was aware of someone grabbing her hand while another voice coached her.  There was no need to check for dilation, this child was coming now and nothing could be done to stop it.  Still, the burning located in her womanhood was almost as unbearable as the pressure and she soon had to stop as a pained whimper escaped her.  “You’re doing good ma’am.  The baby’s starting to crown,” came an assured murmur as a hand pressed against her to stop her child from coming too fast.  With how tight she was, tearing was a very real issue and her body had to have time to adjust.

Lost in a haze of pain and instincts, Marie barely held onto enough of herself to remember what she had to do.  Taking in another breath, she pushed with her next pain; gritting her teeth as she felt her lips stretch around the coming head.  Slowly, far too slowly, the man helping her allowed the child to come forward.  She could feel as the brow, then the nose came; the whole thing coming free with a wet pop.  Immediately she stopped pushing, as the black blur down below got a grip on it.  A soft voice murmured in her ear and she blindly arched toward it as another pain overtook her.

Pushing almost mindlessly, she let out a cry of a name she vaguely knew was forbidden to say.  Yet, no chastisement came as the shoulders began to emerge.  Hands gave gentle pulls as she strained then there was a glorious release as the baby slid free.  The purple blur beside her tossed a shining glint to the figure between her legs and she felt a slight yank as her tether to the newborn was severed.  Closing her eyes to clear her vision as her body pushed free the placenta, she felt her breathing steady and a floaty sense of well-being filled her.  Soft lips landed on her forehead as the babe began to wail loudly.  “A little girl,” whispered a voice that made her eyes snap open as recognition filled her.

During the birth she had been almost disconnected from reality as sheer instinct had taken over her brain.  Now that her daughter was being bundled in some torn cloth from Ivy and handed to her, she felt mortification set in.  Trying not to think about the fact that Batman had seen things he shouldn’t have, the exhausted woman allowed her gaze to travel to the child she had carried for almost nine months.  Blonde hair stood up from her head and bright, green eyes glittered as a perfect version of her union with her lover looked up at her.  She looked more like her father but there was just enough of the mother in there to feminize her looks.  “Oh Jack...,” slipped from her unthinkingly and she felt her heart freeze with the horror of it.

“It’s okay.  My real name is no secret to our rubber coated friend.  Besides, you called it during birth as well,” came a quick assurance as groaning came from somewhere far away.

Somehow, that declaration didn’t help her feel better and she avoided his eyes as she felt the vigilante that had helped her clean and redress her.  As embarrassing as it was, she was grateful for the consideration; especially considering the fact he had also bundled the afterbirth in his cape.  As the grimacing vigilante got to his booted feet, Crane began to sit up slowly as his groans slowly became inhuman snarls.  Freezing, the black clad man; shifted his gaze to Joker as his lips pursed.

Stiffening, the green haired murderer simply rolled his eyes before reaching into his purple jacket and tossing something to the hero.  “That should be enough but don’t expect that to work for very long,” he hissed, his eyes shifting to the left as he noticed Jonathan beginning to move toward them in a rather strange manner.  Thankfully, Batboy got the hint and skedaddled quickly; practically leaving a wake of dust behind him.  This left Marie alone with her closest friends and almost husband.  The entire group tensed as Scarecrow closed the distance.  Then he was collapsing, his black eyes full of dazed worry until the exhausted woman began to pet his hair.

To say it was an effort to touch him after what she had seen would be an understatement but she ignored the crawling sensation of her skin.  The dark thing had almost laid down his life for her and her child, he had her loyalty and love for the rest of her natural life.  Even as the others backed away or looked at her strangely, she kept petting until the dual male drifted back to sleep.  “She’s perfect Jack,” she whispered, shifting her gaze while her hand stayed in place.  Thankfully, the villain understood and smiled as he gave their alert daughter one of his fingers.

“Did you expect anything else?” he chided, a chuckle bubbling up in his chest even while Ivy sewed up his wound.

Rolling her eyes, the former doctor curled into the taller man as pain and exhaustion began to overwhelm her.  “What are we going to name her?” she whispered, vaguely aware of the others cautiously closing the distance as well.

“Faye,” replied a sure response as she felt herself get swept up into his arms.

“Mmmm, sounds pretty,” she sighed as she drifted off.  Even as she entered the comfort of darkness, she felt relief fill her that the child was his after all.  Still, the fact it was girl made things a bit interesting.  Just how would Joker react when she was old enough to date.  There was also what had happened with Batman.  Just as unconsciousness fully claimed her, she found herself pondering just what was going to happen now.


	35. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: There is no neat little epilogue for these two. Their story will continue but I will more than likely let it end for me here. I hope you enjoyed this fic. This got a lot longer than I ever expected. I know I probably didn’t meet expectations at some points but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, bookmarked or even just stuck with it until the very end. You all are my biggest motivation~

It was amusing really, everything they’ve done or gone through and this was what was driving the Prince of Chaos mad.  Their little girl having a harmless crush on Batman’s young ward.  It was enough to make her laugh if he didn’t look so very murderous.  His painted face was twisted in a vicious snarl as he paced back and forth, making her wonder if he was going to wear a hole in the floorboards.  “Jack, she won’t lead them here and you know it.  Besides, she’s almost sixteen.  Did you really expect her to be content being ‘daddy’s little girl’ for the rest of her life?” Marie pointed out, almost feeling a bit afraid when he stopped in his tracks to glower at her.

“She coulda picked anyone else!” he hissed, running a gloved hand through his dyed locks while his chest heaved in aggravation.

“Hmm, and yet I hear no complaints about Joseph or Ryan falling in love with police officers,” she pointed out, talking about their pair of twins who had found and fallen for another set of twins in the police force.  They were a year younger than Faye and just as precocious.

“That’s different!  They... they can take care of themselves,” spat the villain, the black around his eyes making him look intimidating.

“What you mean is, they aren’t your little girl,” she cooed knowingly, slowly getting up to take him into a loose hug.  Despite his anger, the murderer relaxed into the embrace and let out a sigh.

“If he hurts her, I’ll kill him,” he husked out, finally moving away from forbidding her from seeing the boy after hours of negotiation.

Giggling, Marie stood on her toes to plant a his on his cheek as she allowed her body to sag into his.  “I bet I have some news to help get your mind off things,” she whispered, unbuttoning his pants to slip her hand inside; playing with his limp manhood gently.  This soon caused the appendage to stiffen as blood filled it, drawing hiss from the ‘Clown Prince’ as his eyes focused on her.

“Mmm, and what’s that,” he rasped, licking his scars before leaning down to capture her lips in a brief kiss.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she heard a low growl emanate from deep inside him.

Then hot, eager kisses landed on her face as his hands came up to rest on her still flat stomach.  “No matter how many times I knock ya up, it’s still just as hot as the first time,” he sighed, releasing her to move toward the chemical stand on his desk.  In it was the makings of an all new chemical to make Batman’s life hell, handmade by Crane after he had regained his senses.  For a few years after the incident, he would slip into Scarecrow without warning and was always extremely protective of Marie and her daughter.  Even now, the dark being would still come out unannounced but never long, just long enough to make sure everything was okay.

Even now, none of them spoke about what they had seen; simply coming to a silent agreement that some things were better left unsaid.  Besides, none of it mattered when his motivation was so clear.  As unnatural as the thing felt, he only wanted to protect the two he cared about.  Even Faye had sensed it from a young age, not having any problem with either man holding her.  In fact, she had even seemed to prefer Scarecrow just slightly; something that persisted even now.  When the young teen wasn’t sneaking out to see Robin, she was hanging out with the duo in one; doing experiments with them while chattering about her day.

The only thing that really shocked Marie was the change in her lover soon after the birth.  He had halted production on ‘Fearful Grin’ entirely and had moved onto something else, claiming boredom.  The former Psychologist, however knew it was something else.  She could never get him to talk about it but she had a feeling it was out of simple fear for their newborn daughter.  Neither the chemical or the antidote had been tested on babies, so there was no real way to gauge how safe it would be to use.  Even then, it would be well into Faye’s teenhood that he would begin stirring things up again.

Their rate of visitors had also skyrocketed, even Croc popping in to talk once in a while.  Soon, a powerful empire was at his feet; Marie was amazed it took him this long to give into the temptation of utilizing it.  Shaking herself from the past, she moved to help the man who had long ago flipped her entire reality on its head.  Despite all the people she has killed and all the things she’s been through, she doesn’t regret a bit.  There had even been talk of letting her mother and sister have some form of contact through Dave.  Things looked much better than they ever would have if she had stayed with Roger and she was grateful she had ever been kidnapped by this strange criminal.  “I love you Jack.  Now and forever,” she sighed, kissing his neck as she heard their trio of elephants stomp their way up the stairs.

  
  
  
  
**_The End~_ **


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